When We Were Young
by bonesgadh
Summary: Different stages of Beca and Jesse's relationship through the years, from their first kiss at Lincoln Center to the downfall of their love affair and their reunion, two decades after they last saw each other, now both of them with successful careers in the music industry. Based on Adele songs from her albums 19, 21, and 25.
1. River Lea

_March, 2012_

 _Everybody tells me it's 'bout time that I moved on_

 _And I need to learn to lighten up and learn how to be young_

 _But my heart is a valley, it's so shallow and man made_

 _I'm scared to death if I let you in that you'll see I'm just a fake_

 _I should probably tell you now before it's way too late_

 _That I never meant to hurt you or lie straight to your face_

 _Consider this my apology, I know it's years in advance_

 _But I'd rather say it now in case I never get the chance_

 _So I blame it on the River Lea…_

It had been the world's most perfect first kiss. Beca didn't have much experience in the subject, but she knew for sure it couldn't get better than that. It had been intimate and passionate at the same time, and pretty much enjoyable for both parts. The surprise factor had helped, too, as Jesse was obviously not expecting Beca to arrive and kiss him out of nowhere. His hands had started on her waist and eventually went to her hair, while hers never moved away from his neck. They didn't stop until Aubrey interrupted them with a simple "ahem", which took them back to reality.

"We'll talk later," he simply said, and squeezed her hand. They took their seats and enjoyed the rest of the performances, although Beca couldn't stop staring at Jesse and wishing they were alone in some dark alley in Manhattan.

She had thought about kissing him at the end of the Bellas' performance from the moment she picked ' _Don't You (Forget About Me)_ ' as part of their medley. At first, she wasn't sure she should do it. Although it sounded like a great idea in her head, she couldn't ignore the fact that she and Jesse were at odds, and chances were he wouldn't be pleased with her move. However, Chloe and the girls encouraged her to do it, and assured her Jesse would forgive her after finding out she had included that stupid song into the repertoire. For once in her life, she decided to trust them.

Luckily for her, they ended up being right.

* * *

Against all odds, the Bellas won the competition. They got into the Finals by mere luck, and walked out Lincoln Center as champions. They weren't the laughing stock of acapella anymore, they had accomplished the mission. They had more than enough reasons to feel proud of themselves.

After the award ceremony (in which the Trebles were presented with 2nd place), Aubrey and Chloe thought it would be a good idea for all the girls to go out and celebrate their victory all night long. Beca was on board with it; however, there was a little thing she had to take care of first.

She found him by the fountain in Josie Robertson Plaza, outside Lincoln Center. He was chatting with Benjiji and Unicycle, and didn't notice when Beca stood up behind him.

"Hey," she said, and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. He turned and smiled at her, like he always did whenever he saw her.

"Hey! What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out celebrating?"

"I kind of sneaked out."

"Why?"

"The girls want to drink their weight in booze, which I have no problem with, but before that I really needed to talk to you; preferably sober."

"Okay, I'm all ears."

"Um, do you think we could do this in private?"

He looked at Benji and Unicycle, who were still waiting for them to finish their conversation.

"Sure," he said, and they moved away from the two guys. Once they were by themselves, Jesse took her by the hand.

"Listen, about what happened tonight—"

"That's what I wanted us to talk about," she said, visibly anxious.

"Beca, I don't want you to think we have to be a thing Because of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that, just 'cause we kissed, we don't have to be a couple."

Beca's heart skipped a beat.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah," he immediately noticed the distressed look on her face, and quickly clarified his comments. "I'm not saying this Because I don't want us to be together, Because I do. I really do, trust me. However, I don't want you to feel pressured or anything. On the contrary, I want you to take all the time you need."

Beca shook her head, with impatience.

"Look, Jesse. I kissed you, okay? I still don't know where I got the strength to do it, but here I am. I thought it would be weird, but it wasn't. As a matter of fact, it was better than I expected. If I did it, it's Because I want us to be a couple."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously! I want to give this a chance. I don't know if it's going to work, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering if rejecting you was the best or the worst decision I ever made. I'm tired of being alone. I don't want to be an outcast anymore. I want to be with you, and I'm willing to do everything in my power to make this work."

"I… wow," he was visibly surprised. "I don't know what to say, Beca."

"Then don't say anything," she was much more calmed than before.

"So, we are doing this?"

"I guess we are," she said, with a smile. "However, I just wanna warn you of some stuff. I need you pay attention Because it's really important, got it?"

"Okay."

"The truth is I'm scared to let you in, Because chances are you will be disappointed by what you'll see. I was raised by wolves. My dad walked out on me and my mom when I was 10, Because he found out she was cheating on him. I refused to see him again after I was 17, which is when my mom died. By the way, she was a junkie. I will tell you the story someday. Everybody tells me it's about time I move on, Because I need to start living my life and enjoy my youth. As if it were that easy… My heart is all full of darkness and shit, but despite that I consider myself a survivor. Still, I have a lot of issues that I need to work on. Anyway, I didn't mean to tell you all of this to scare you. The point is if I ever hurt you, please consider this my apology. I know it's years in advance, but I'd rather say it now before it's way too late."

Jesse remained quiet for a few seconds, as if he were processing Beca's words. She knew she could be harsh from time to time, and perhaps she shouldn't have opened her mouth in the first place. However, she believed he deserved to know all the details and the sooner she told him, the better.

After a few seconds in complete silence, Jesse sighed and shrugged.

"I don't care."

"You don't?"

"So you had a crappy childhood and crappy parents. The important thing is that you are here, and you are making a name of yourself. You are aware of your what your problems are. Most people out there don't have a clue of what bothers them, but you do, and that's what makes you different from the rest of us. Like you said, you are a survivor. I admire you for that."

"So you are not scared?"

"Of course not. If anything, I think I'm even more attracted to you than I was before."

A big smile appeared on her face.

"Well, thank you for understanding me, Jess. It really means a lot to me."

"As a matter of fact, there's some stuff I wanna share with you as well. What if we discuss it over some waffles once we get back to Barden? I know the perfect place; it's called _Waffle House_."

"I'd love to. Although I don't think I can wait that long."

"It's only two days, we'll make it."

 _How I've missed this weirdo. It was really hard not talking to him for three weeks._

"Now go, have fun with your friends; you've earned it," he encouraged her. "Just don't get into trouble."

"What'll you guys do?"

"They wanna go to a strip club," she gave him a harsh look. "Don't worry, I will say no. I'm taken now, I'm officially off the market.

"I trust you on this."

"Don't worry, we'll end up in our hotel room, surrounded by cheap beer and pizza and watching some stupid soccer game."

"Okay."

He put his hands on her waist and gave her a slow, long kiss. Beca immediately sunk into it.

"I'll call you when we return to Atlanta."

"Can't wait."


	2. Make you feel my love

_When the rain is blowing in your face_

 _And the whole world is on your case_

 _I could offer you a warm embrace_

 _To make you feel my love_

 _I know you haven't made your mind up yet_

 _But I would never do you wrong_

 _I've known it from the moment that we met_

 _No doubt in my mind where you belong_

 _I'd go hungry I'd go black and blue_

 _I'd go crawling down the avenue_

 _Know there's nothing that i wouldn't do_

 _To make you feel my love_

 _I could make you happy make your dreams come true_

 _Nothing that I wouldn't do_

 _Go to the ends of the earth for you_

 _To make you feel my love_

The next morning, Beca's head was still spinning around from all the booze her friends had made her drink. Although she had a very good alcohol tolerance, she wasn't used to partying or getting drunk. They barely managed to get into a cab that took them back to their hotel, and the ten girls staggered across the lobby toward their rooms. Luckily for Beca, Aubrey and Chloe immediately passed out once they sat on their beds, and saved her the embarrassing task of holding their hair back when they puked. Sadly, Fat Amy and Cynthia-Rose hadn't been as lucky, as they both had to deal with a very drunk Stacie.

On Sunday, two days after the Finals, they returned to Atlanta. She began unpacking as soon as she entered her room, but was interrupted by a text from Jesse.

 _J: Do you feel like going for those waffles tonight?_

 _B: Maybe. But don't you think they'd taste better in the morning?_

 _J: I just remembered I have a quiz tomorrow. If you don't want to, we can reschedule for next Saturday._

 _B: Let's go today, I don't mind_ _J_

 _J: Okay. I'll see you at the entrance of Baker Hall at, say, 7:30?_

 _B:_ _C_

* * *

When Beca went down the stairs, she was surprised to see Jesse was already waiting for her. He was wearing a blue shirt, jeans and black boots. Jesse wasn't a devilishly handsome guy, but he wasn't bad looking, either. He knew what looked good on him, and he always did what he could to look as presentable as possible.

"Hey!" he greeted her as soon as she saw her. They kissed, and she noticed he had a small package on his hand; however, she couldn't tell what it was.

"Hey. How long have you been waiting for me?"

"I just got here."

"It's only 7:20. Why did you arrive ten minutes earlier?"

"You know I hate making people wait. Besides, I didn't want to be late to our first date."

"Well, thank you for being on time. "

"You look absolutely great, by the way."

The truth was that Beca wasn't the kind of girl who payed lots of attention to her outfit, but she wanted to look nice for their first date. She ended up picking a white cami top, an army green trench coat, jeans and white sneakers.

"Thanks. You look quite dashing yourself."

He smiled at her, and then handed her the package.

"I brought you a gift. It's not much, but I hope you like it."

She unwrapped it and unveiled a box of chocolate-covered raisins, her favorite candy.

"Oh, yum! How did you know I love raisins?"

"You told me once, while we were having lunch at the dining hall."

"Did I?"

"Yeah. You asked me to get you some from the candy store, and you warned me you could eat three pounds in fifteen minutes."

"How do you remember that stuff? I don't even remember what I ate yesterday."

"I figured I could use that information someday," he said, and shrugged. "Did you like your gift?"

"I loved it! Thank you so much," she said, as she opened the box and pulled out a bunch of raisins. "Want some?"

"No, thanks. Enjoy them by yourself. Shall we go?"

"Sure, let's go."

* * *

 _Waffle House_ was a small restaurant a couple of blocks away from Georgia State University, in Downtown Atlanta. It wasn't far from Barden, either, so Beca and Jesse decided to walk instead of taking a cab. Once in the diner, Beca didn't know what they were supposed to talk about. Personal stuff? Trivial matters? Political views? Although they already knew it each other pretty well (they had been best friends for months), their relationship was different now, and chances were their conversation topics had changed as well. However, as the evening went by, Beca realized little had changed between them. Jesse was his usual silly and charming, and they sent most of their time at _Waffle House_ arguing about the ICCAs.

"I'm just saying, if Bumper hadn't left, we would have won," Jesse said, as he took a sip from his chocolate milkshake.

"Give me a break," Beca said, while eating a piece of her waffle.

"What, you don't believe me? Okay, let's go over the facts: first, we lost our leader and main arranger Because he abandoned us—"

"Jesse," she interrupted him, "that asshole leaving you was literally the _best thing_ that could ever happen to you."

"Second," he said, ignoring her claim, "we had to change our entire set list; and third, we had to prepare Benji for the competition in less than a week. The odds weren't exactly in our favor, Beca."

"Well, they weren't exactly in our favor, either. I took charge of the Bellas on Monday, which was like, four days before the Finals. We also had to prepare a new set list and a new choreography. If anything, we both went through the same stuff. It's true we didn't lose any members, but still, we didn't have it easy."

"Other reason why you won was Because Aubrey stepped down as leader. You girls didn't stand a chance as long as she was in charge. Giving up that silly whistle was the best decision she ever made."

"You know what? I don't think you are giving me or the other girls enough credit," Beca said, angrily. "If we won, it was Because we earned it. Not Because some idiot screwed you over, but Because we worked hard and we made sacrifices. We were aware that, if we wanted to be champions, our performance had to be perfect. Not good, not excellent; _perfect_. We did what we had to do to win the competition. I made new arrangements, we changed the outfits, some girls had to learn new stuff for our act to be more attractive… We believed in ourselves, we knew we had a chance at winning and we took it. End of the story."

Beca's little outburst left Jesse speechless, mostly Because had never heard her talk about the Bellas that way before. On the contrary, she had always shown little to no interest in the matter. Now, it seemed as if her profound apathy toward the group had been replaced by a strong sense of loyalty and some sort of newfound 'Bella pride'. It took Jesse completely by surprise.

"I'll be damned," he said, as he crossed his arms and smiled at her. "You have become a true Bella!"

"No, I haven't," she tried to deny it.

"Oh yes, you have!"

"Shut up."

"Make no mistake, I love hearing you defending them. It's just I never thought you'd do it."

As she thought about Jesse's words, Beca took another bite of her waffle.

"Well, I guess I kind of grew fond of them," she admitted, after a while. "They have been really nice to me and they make feel a little less lonely. They also make me crazy from time to time, but they are my friends, and I appreciate them; I love them, actually."

"That's very sweet, Beca. I mean it. I'm glad you are happy of having them in your life."

She made another pause.

"I'm happy of having you in my life, too."

It was the corniest thing she had ever said, but it was true. Jesse and the girls were the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she wanted him to know it. Once again, a smile appeared upon his face. He gently squeezed her wrist, and they continued eating.

* * *

They went back to campus as soon as their finished their meal. They reached Baker Hall at 10:30 p.m. Jesse insisted on accompanying Beca to her room, to which she agreed.

"Did you have a good time tonight?" He asked her, once they were outside her dorm.

"I did, actually," she said, and it was true. In Beca's opinion, the date had been a complete success. They had laughed and talked for hours, and Beca's initial fear had quickly vanished thanks to Jesse's dorkiness and easy going attitude. "Although I never expected our first date to be in a diner."

"You can pick up the place for the second one."

"You bet I will," then, she checked the hour on her phone. "It's getting late; you'd better get going."

Out of nowhere, Jesse held her hands.

"Before I go, there's something I'd like to tell you."

"Okay," she said, with curiosity.

"Look, I've been thinking about what you said back in New York, about your past and everything you've gone through."

Beca sighed.

"Jesse, I still don't feel comfortable talking about it—"

"I don't want you to," he reassured her. "Not until you are ready. I know it's hard for you to open up, and like I told you before, I don't want you to feel pressured for anything. On the contrary, I want you to feel safe with me."

Then, he tucked her hair behind her ears.

"The thing I wanted to tell you was that I'll always be here for you. if you ever feel overwhelmed by all the stuff going on in your life, or like the whole world is against you, or if you just need someone to rely on," he smiled. "Anything. I'd never hurt you."

"'Always' and 'never' are two words you shouldn't use, Jesse," she said, to gain some time. However, Jesse wasn't done yet.

"I know, but I don't care. Believe when I tell you there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I've know it from the moment that we met. I'd go crawling down the avenue all the way back to the diner if you asked me to. Hell, I'd go to the end of the world to show you how important you are to me."

Beca didn't know what to say. She was so used to being alone and feeling unloved, and no one had ever talked to her the way Jesse had. She felt beyond moved by his words, and wasn't sure of what to respond—or if she should respond, at all.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked him, to gain some time.

"I thought it was something you had to know, that's all."

"Well, thank you for being so sweet," she said, and caressed his face. "I may not be the most expressive girl in the world, but it means a lot to me; it really does."

He kissed her hands, and then her lips. It was a quick one, but somehow it managed to make Beca feel weak in the knees.

After they were done kissing, Beca opened the door to her room and went inside.

"Good night."

"Good night," he answered, and winked at her as she slowly closed the door.


	3. Daydreamer

_Three months later…_

 _June, 2012_

 _Beca_ didn't know what she was supposed to do during summer break. Jesse and her friends were leaving to visit their families, while she was torn between staying at Barden, mixing music and eating junk food (as in her teenage years in Portland), or accepting her dad's invitation of going to Boston with he and Sheila for two weeks. She ended up picking the second option, mostly because her dad had been very insisting and she wasn't in the mood to fight with him, specially since they had been trying to rebuild their broken relationship for the past three months.

Beca had no problem with spending time with her dad, but she had always found her stepmother a little hard to swallow. She reluctantly tolerated her because she was her dad's wife, but in her opinion, Sheila was superficial and vain, and not the friendliest person in the world. Again, Beca knew she wasn't very sympathetic herself, but she couldn't help but distrust her stepmother. She tried to convince herself it was because they hadn't spent enough time together, but she thought it would be better to keep her distance from her.

Before leaving for Boston, she called Jesse in Minnesota.

"Hey, Becs! What's up?"

"Hey, just wanted to let you know I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"Great. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. A part of me is excited to spend time with my dad, but the other part is kind of scared of the whole thing being a total failure."

"Beca, don't be scared; it's gonna be awesome!"

"Hmm, I wish I had your confidence."

"Look, if things get too ugly or uncomfortable, you can talk about me."

"I won't discuss our relationship with the stepmonster, thank you very much."

"You guys need to bond, what better way to do it than talk-trashing about the son-in-law?"

"If I wanted to trash-talk about you, I would do it with Chloe or Fat Amy, not with Sheila and my dad. Besides," she added, "I haven't told him about us, yet."

"Why not?"

"I don't really know how to. I'm new in this whole 'Father-daughter' stuff."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find a way."

"I hope so."

* * *

 _Daydreamer_

 _Sitting on the sea_

 _Soaking up the sun_

 _He is a real lover_

 _And making up the past_

 _Feeling up his girl_

 _Like he's never felt a figure before_

 _A jaw dropper_

 _Looks good when he walks_

 _Is the subject of their talk_

 _He would be hard to chase_

 _But good to catch_

 _And he could change the world_

 _With his hands behind his back_

 _You can find him sittin' on your doorstep_

 _Waiting for a surprise_

 _And he will feel like he's been there for hours_

 _And you can tell that he'll be there for life_

 _Daydreamer_

 _With eyes that make you melt_

 _He lends his coat for shelter_

 _Plus he's there for you_

 _When he shouldn't be_

 _But he stays all the same_

 _Waits for you_

 _Then sees you through_

 _There's no way I_

 _Could describe him_

 _What I'll say is_

 _Just what I'm hoping for…_

"So, Beca…" Sheila said, not completely sure of how she should start the conversation, "how was your first year at Barden?"

The three of them were having breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. Beca had ordered blueberry pancakes and black coffee, while her stepmom and her dad were enjoying their ham and cheese omelettes.

"Good, I guess."

"Did you have a good time?"

"I can't complain," she said, and shrugged. Sheila moved in her seat, uncomfortable, and Dr. Mitchell gave Beca a severe look. "Although," she quickly added, "I gotta admit it was better than I expected."

"Did you make a lot of friends?" Her dad asked her.

"Just the ones I needed."

"Do you think you can tell us about them?"

Beca looked at her dad, and then at Sheila.

 _This is a good opportunity_ , she said to herself.

"Well, there's Fat Amy, a really funny Australian who is kind of eccentric; Chloe, the sweetest and most loyal girl I've ever met; Aubrey, a very tenacious control freak with a heart of gold; Cynthia-Rose, who has an amazing voice and is extremely talented; Stacie, there's more to her than it meets the eye…"

They talked about Beca's friends for almost an hour, in which she shared stories from rehearsals and competitions. She told them how she had befriended each of them, and she even talked about her awkward encounter with Chloe in the shower.

"What about your love life?" Sheila asked. Her question took Beca completely by surprise.

"My… love life?"

"Have you felt attracted to some guy in these months?"

 _Oh, dear_.

"I don't know if we should talk about this right now."

"Come on, don't be shy! Your Father won't mind, right?"

Dr. Mitchell looked as if he had thought about asking the same question himself but had been too afraid to do so.

"No, I won't," he reassured her.

Beca remembered the words Jesse had told her the previous day. _'You guys need to bond, what better way to do it than talk-trashing about the son-in-law?'_

"As a matter of fact, I have something to tell you, guys," she noticed the worried look on their faces. "Relax, I'm not pregnant or anything. Although, if I ever am, you'll be the first to know," she said, with her usual sarcasm. Her dad didn't find the joke funny, though. "Okay, bad joke, I get it," she took a deep breath. "I have a boyfriend."

Sheila and her dad looked at her with their eyes wide open. Clearly, the news had caught them off-guard.

"I'm sorry, a what?" Her dad asked, completely shocked.

"A boyfriend. You know, a romantic partner, a life companion, a beau—"

"Who is he? Where did you meet him?"

"His name's Jesse, I met him at the radio station. He's a freshman, too."

"How long have you been together?"

"Almost three months."

"How old is he? Where does he come from? _WHAT DOES HE DO FOR A LIVING?_ "

"John, calm down," Sheila said, and patted him on the back.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because I was afraid of how you would react," Beca said, a little exasperated.

"You? _A boyfriend?_ "

"Why is it so difficult to believe?" She said, slightly offended.

"Because you have never been the boyfriend kind of girl," her dad shook his head, still in shock. Sheila sighed, and shook her head as well.

"Ignore him. It will take him a while to fully process the news."

"I can see."

"Now, let's talk about this Jesse," Sheila encouraged her. "I wanna know everything about him."

Beca looked at her, with skepticism.

"You do?"

"Of course! Tell me, what is he like?"

Sheila's interest in Jesse seemed genuine, and her attitude made Beca feel comfortable enough to share some of her most personal thoughts with her.

"Well," she said, as she visualized Jesse's face, "he is not particularly handsome, but for me, he is a jaw dropper, with eyes that make you melt. Nice smile, looks good when he walks. Sometimes he behaves like an idiot, but it's because he's not afraid of being himself. He also has the attitude of someone who could change the world in a heartbeat. He is a daydreamer, you know? A true gentleman, polite and generous. He is the kind of guy who lends you his coat when it's cold outside. He sits on your doorstep and waits for you to get ready for your date. He's there for you even when he shouldn't be, and if you push him away he'll stay anyway. He is not easy to chase, but once you catch him, you can tell he'll be there for you for life."

"Wow. He seems to be quite a catch!"

"I can't complain," Beca said, with a smile.

She didn't mention what an excellent lover he was, though.

"Hold on," her dad said, now fully recovered from the news. "Is he, by any chance, the boy you kissed at Lincoln Center?"

"You saw that?"

"Everyone did," Beca blushed. "I thought he was your friend and you kissed him to celebrate your win, that's all."

"I don't know how you celebrate with _your_ friends, dad, but I would never kiss a friend of mine like that."

"I have to be honest with you, I was not expecting this kind of news."

Her dad seemed more relaxed than he was before.

"Okay, let me just ask you something: are you happy?"

"I am, I really am. In fact, I don't think I've ever been this happy."

"Well, in that case, congratulations. That's what I meant when I said I wanted you to make memories in Barden. I'm so proud of you," he said, and caressed Beca's hand.

"Thanks, dad."

"I can't wait to meet him. When will you introduce us?"

"Whoa!" Beca exclaimed, alarmed. "Isn't it a little bit early for that? We've been dating for three months."

"So? What's wrong with a Father wanting to meet his daughter's boyfriend? It's the most natural thing in the world."

"I'll think about it," she simply said. "I'm not promising anything, okay?"

"Okay."

It turns out, going on a vacation with Sheila and her dad hadn't been so bad after all.


	4. Chasing pavements

**Hey, here's the new chapter. As always R &R. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

 _Five months later…_

 _November, 2012_

That night, Beca and Jesse went to the Falcons game against the Saints, in which the locals defeated their rivals from the south 23 to 13. Jesse knew Beca was an avid football fan, and he also knew she had never gone to an actual game before. They cheered, screamed and celebrated each play, and they later went for dinner at a seafood restaurant called _Lure_. It had been a perfect date, like the previous ones, and Beca wondered if Jesse would ever run out of ideas to keep things fresh during their dates. She arrived at the Bella house with a big smile on her face.

"Hey, I'm home," she greeted her friends, who were watching a rerun of _America's Next Top Model_ while eating pizza in the living room.

"Hi Beca," the girls said in unison.

"Want some pizza, BM?" Fat Amy said, and offered her a slice.

"No thanks, I just ate."

"How did it go with the dreamboat?"

Only Stacie could come up with such a particular nickname for Jesse.

"Great, it was a very nice date," Beca answered, still smiling.

"Well, well, well, someone had a good time tonight!" Chloe mischievously said. All the girls stopped what they were doing and turned to face Beca.

"I can't complain."

"What happened?" Stacie asked, with excitement.

"I'm not going to discuss my date with you, that stuff is personal."

"Come on, Beca, I need to know the details!" Her friend begged her. "Tell me something dirty, please!"

"How long has it been since you had sex, Stacie?" Fat Amy asked.

"Two months."

"Ugh, it must be killing you!"

"You have no idea. I'm so desperate I actually bought this little—"

"Stacie!" Chloe interrupted her friend, "We don't really need to know the details, okay? Now, let's go back to your date," she said, while looking at Beca.

"Why the sudden interest in my love life? I never ask you about _your_ relationships!"

"Because you don't want to. You are free to ask anything you want."

As much as Beca hated to admit it, Chloe's argument was a strong one.

"You already know how sweet and kind Jesse is. I wouldn't be telling you something new."

"We still wanna know everything."

Beca sighed.

"Okay, okay. Well, like you guys surely remember, he picked me up at 6:00 p.m. We went to the Dome, took our seats, and watched the game."

"What else?"

"Oh, and we bought ourselves a hot-dog. It was all greasy and delicious."

"What about dinner?"

"I ordered some sort of fish which name I can't pronounce. Jesse had oysters, they were good. For dessert, we had lemon pie. We drank coffee and then we left, that's it."

" _'That's it'_?" Her friend said, disappointed. "Where's the romance, the heat?"

"There _was_ heat, Chloe. He held my hand and interlocked his fingers with mine, he looked at me in the eye, he complimented me without been saccharine, he paid for dinner and did all of those things that you girls consider 'romantic', but he knew I had never been to an actual game before, that's why he bought the tickets. To me, that's romance, and I prefer it over having dinner in the Space Needle or Paris or something."

The eight girls stared at Beca with suspicion, which surprised her.

"Why are you looking at me that way?" She asked them. Instead of answering her question, they whispered into each other's ears. "Hey! What is going on?"

They nodded and looked back at her. This time, Beca perceived a trace of satisfaction in their eyes.

"Beca, Beca, Beca," Chloe said, as she shook her head and put her hands on her friend's shoulders. "You have grown up."

"What is that supposed to mean? I can't understand you when you are being so damn secretive."

"Stacie, would you do the honors?"

Stacie gave Chloe a thumbs up, and stood up from her chair.

"You have fallen in love with Jesse."

" _What_?!" Beca exclaimed.

"Don't even try to deny it, Beca Mitchell; we can see right through you."

"What makes you think that?"

"Oh, let's see," Fat Amy said, as she counted with her fingers. "There's the way your whole face lights up whenever you talk about him, the way you blush like a schoolgirl when you two go out, you getting a sudden interest in movies—"

"It's true I have a great time whenever I'm with him," she said, trying to gain some time, "but that's only because he is funny and kind-hearted and sensible—"

"Besides you constantly complimenting him and bringing up what an amazing guy he is," Fat Amy added.

"Well, he is! Besides, he is really good in bed."

"This ain't lust, honey. This is love," Cynthia-Rose interrupted her, with a smile on her face.

Beca didn't know what to say. Eight pairs of eyes were looking at her, anxiously waiting for her response to their insinuations.

"I—"

"Well?"

"Okay," she said, after carefully thinking through her answer. "Okay, let's suppose I _do_ love him," the girls made a sound of approval. "What's the big deal about it?"

"'What's the big deal about it?' she says," Stacie said, and took a sip from her diet Coke.

"Have you told him?" Chloe asked her.

"Ginger, she didn't even know it herself," Fat Amy pointed out.

"True that. Beca, you have to tell him."

"No, I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I just can't."

"Saying 'I love you' for the first time is quite a milestone in any relationship," Stacie said.

"You know better, don't you Stacie?" Fat Amy said, mocking her.

"Shut up."

"There has to be a logical explanation," Chloe insisted. Beca ran her hands through her hair, visibly distressed. She didn't like talking about her feelings, even with her friends.

"What if I screw everything up?"

"Are you serious?" Chloe said. "Beca, it's already working! You are happy, everything's going on well, don't be afraid of what might happen!"

Beca crossed her arms and shook her head.

"I'm not used to things actually going well in my life. Not since my mother died, anyway."

The eight girls gasped, and Stacie and Chloe took a step back.

"Whoa!" Stacie exclaimed.

" _What now_?!" Beca said, annoyed.

"Your mom died?"

"Yes."

"When?" Chloe asked, with her hand on her chest.

"Two years ago."

"Oh my God," the redhead managed to say. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"I thought you'd figured it out."

"How could we? You never talk about her," Fat Amy pointed out.

"There's a reason. She was a terrible mother."

"Does Jesse know?"

"Yes, although I didn't tell him the details."

"What happened?"

Beca sighed, with impatience.

"She was killed in a car crash. Her boyfriend was drunk, and she was high on coke. I don't really wanna talk about it, okay? Can we go back to Jesse?"

The girls, still in shock, nodded and decided to respect Beca's wishes.

"God, now because of you idiots, I feel guilty!"

"Guilty? For what?" Fat Amy asked, offended.

"Because now you all know I love Jesse, but he doesn't. If there's one person in this world who has to know, it's him. And I feel terrible because I don't even want to tell him."

"Look, Beca," Stacie said, regaining control of the situation. "I'm gonna ask you a question, and I need you to tell me truth. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you think your relationship with Jesse has a future? Like, one where you two last beyond college and get married and have kids and grow old together?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Maybe _yes_ or maybe _not_?"

"I said _maybe_ ," Beca answered, annoyed. "It's too early to know. Right now everything is perfect, but who knows if it will continue to be in the future."

"Well, in my opinion, you gotta be honest with him. Only if you want the relationship to last, naturally."

"Of course I want it to last, what kind of comment is that?"

"Beca, don't be so defensive," Chloe intervened. "What Stacie means to say is that you gotta open up more to Jesse. He tells you everything, doesn't he?"

"I guess."

"In that case, it would be really nice if you shared stuff with him as well."

"What kind of stuff?"

"I don't know. Your feelings, for example."

"But how am I supposed to do it?"

"You want my advice? Let it flow. Be your natural self. Honesty is the best policy, Beca. It should come easy, weren't you two best friends before being a couple?"

Beca weighed her friend's words.

"I need to think about it," she finally said. "I'm gonna take a walk outside."

* * *

 _I've made up my mind,_

 _Don't need to think it over_

 _If I'm wrong, I am right_

 _Don't need to look no further,_

 _This ain't lust_

 _I know this is love_

 _But if I tell the world_

 _I'll never say enough_

 _'cause it was not said to you_

 _And that's exactly what I need to do_

 _If I end up with you_

 _Should I give up?_

 _Or should I just keep chasing pavements_

 _Even if it leads nowhere?_

 _Or would it be a waste_

 _Even if I knew my place?_

 _Should I leave it there?_

 _Should I give up?_

 _Or should I just keep chasing pavements_

 _Even if it leads nowhere?_

 _Stupid feelings_. Beca said to herself as she walked down the street. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_.

Dealing with her feelings wasn't exactly her forte. She was used to avoiding them, and having to confront them always made her uncomfortable.

 _Everything would be easier if I hadn't kissed him. I wouldn't be feeling this way if I hadn't been so damn impulsive._

Beca's rough exterior and constant apathy were nothing more than a defense mechanism, a wall she had built to protect herself from life's constant blows. Now, after accepting she had fallen in love with Jesse, that wall was beginning to crumble, and she had no idea how to rebuild it.

Moreover, she wasn't sure she wanted to.

 _I've made up my mind, I don't need to think it over. I love him. But that doesn't mean I have to tell him. It would serve no purpose whatsoever. We have only been dating for eight months, I would probably scare him the hell away. On the other hand, the girls know. It's not their damn business, but those bitches read me like a book. If they know, Jesse should know, too. What's the point of loving someone if you can't tell them? What do I do? Do I leave things the way they are, or do I give up and take a risk?_

"Hey, what are you doing outside?"


	5. Crazy for you

**A/N: Hey! So, we are approaching the sad part of the story :( The truth is Adele doesn't have that many 'happy' songs, but in my opinion, the sad ones are the best ones! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was a particularly difficult one to write. As always R &R :) **

* * *

_Sometimes sitting in the dark_

 _wishing you were here_

 _Turns me crazy_

 _But it's you who makes me lose my head_

 _And everytime I'm meant to be_

 _Acting sensible_

 _You drift into my head_

 _And turn me into a crumbling fool_

 _Lately with this state I'm in_

 _I can't help myself but spin_

 _I wish you'd come over_

 _Send me spinning closer to you_

 _My oh my how my blood boils_

 _Its sweetest for you_

 _It strips me down bare_

 _And gets me into my favourite mood_

 _I keep on trying I'm fighting_

 _These feelings away_

 _But the more I do_

 _The crazier I turn into_

 _Pacing floors and opening doors_

 _Hoping you'll walk through_

 _And save me boy_

 _Because I'm too_

 _Crazy for you_

She turned and saw Jesse standing a few feet away from her, by the Trebles' trash can. He was wearing his Darth Vader pijamas, which made Beca assume he was about to go to bed.

"Umm, hi!" She said, trying to conceal her nervousness. "The girls are watching _America's Next Top Model_ and they can be really loud, I needed some peace and quiet. And you?"

"I was getting ready to sleep, but the guys asked me to take out the trash."

"At midnight?"

"I'm the only one who does it, that's why they take advantage of me."

"Oh."

"But I don't care, I'm gonna make them clean my room in return. Or make me breakfast. I have to think about it."

He was joking, of course, but Beca didn't laugh. He looked at her with curiosity, almost as if he knew she was hiding something from him.

"Is everything okay, Becs?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"It's not like you to take a walk outside at this time of night."

"I'm fine," she said, a bit defensive. "Like I said, I just wanted some time to myself."

Jesse noticed Beca was not in a particularly good mood, so he took a step back.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone," he said, and began to walk away. At first, Beca didn't do anything to stop him from leaving. However, she had a change of heart.

"Jess," She called him, just when he was about to enter the house. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. Please forgive me."

"No, don't apologize. I caught you in a bad time, that's all. I understand," he said, and shrugged. "No hard feelings."

"Yeah, but still, it doesn't justify me behaving like such a dick."

"You are not a hypocrite, that's one of the many things I like about you."

She smiled. Beca had always admired Jesse's ability to transform her defects into virtues.

 _This weirdo is so… ugh._

"Would you come, please? I need to talk to you."

Jesse pointed toward his own chest.

"On this clothes?"

"I don't mind; it's not like you are on your underwear."

He approached her and stood a few feet away from her.

"I'm all ears."

Beca looked at him, not exactly sure of what she should say. She remembered Chloe's words:

 _Let it flow. Be your natural self. Honesty is the best policy, Beca._

"Something weird is happening to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Recently, I find myself in situations in which I've never been before."

"What kind of situations?" Jesse asked, slightly preoccupied. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Everything," She said, much to Jesse's shock. She continued, trying to sound as natural as she could. "At first I thought it was all my fault, but later I realized it was yours all along."

"What did I do?"

"Before I met you, I used to be centered. Now, whenever I'm in class or in a situation in which I'm supposed to concentrate and act all serious, I remember the stupid things you said or did the night before at dinner, and I start giggling like an idiot. You turned me into a fool, and I kind of hate you for that. There are times when I'm alone in my room and I'm feeling bored or lonely and I wish you were there, watching a movie with me or singing or just keeping me company, because you always manage to get me in a good mood. I've never felt this way before, and it's making me lose my head."

"I-I'm sorry, I'm not completely sure I understand," Jesse said, and scratched his head. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, no, I'm not!" Beca quickly clarified. "It's just… ugh!" She exclaimed, exasperated. "I'm not good at this kind of stuff, okay? I'm not Chloe, I'm not Stacie. I've been trying to fight these feelings away, but the more I do the crazier I become. I don't know what to do."

"Okay, first of all, calm down," Jesse said, and put his hands on Beca's shoulders. "I can't understand you when you are this anxious."

She took a deep breath, and stared at him with great intensity.

"I love you."

He looked at her, visibly surprised.

"You love… _me_?"

"I do."

He released her from his grip, and took a few seconds to fully process Beca's words.

"Why?"

"What do you mean by 'why?' I just gave you my reasons."

"Yeah, I heard," he said, and shook his head. "What I mean is, how did a guy like _me_ get a girl like _you_ to love him?"

"I could give you a list of your best qualities if you want to, but it would be completely pointless. Because the only thing that truly matters to me is that I feel safe when I'm with you, because you are such a warm guy. You make me feel comfortable and you _understand_ me, something my own parents were unable to. I always thought being in a relationship would be boring and a waste of time, but I love our conversations and the time we spend together more than anything in the world," she made a quick pause. "I love you."

Jesse weighed Beca's words. Then, a smile appeared on his face.

"I love you too, Becs. I never thought I'd say this to anyone, but I love you with all my heart. I love you!" He exclaimed, forgetting they were in the middle of the street at midnight. However, Beca didn't feel embarrassed. On the contrary, she burst out laughing at his goofiness.

"Shh! You are gonna wake up everybody."

"I don't care if the whole campus finds out!" He said, as he gave her a long kiss. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"You are crazy."

"If I am, I'm crazy for you."

* * *

When Beca went back into the house, all the Bellas were anxiously waiting for her.

"What are you doing up so late? Don't you have class tomorrow?"

"Yes, and so do you," Chloe mischievously said. "What are _you_ doing up so late?"

"I was talking to Jesse, like you told me to."

The girls squealed with delight.

"What did you talk about?"

"I told him I love him."

The girls looked at each other, with surprise.

"You did? You _really_ did?"

"Yeah. Why would I lie to you?"

"What made you change your mind?" Chloe asked.

"I was outside, thinking about talking to him about my feelings, when suddenly he appeared out of nowhere. I decided to take it as a sign from the universe."

"But how did he react?"

"He was happy, I think. He told me he loves me, too."

They squealed again, but louder. Beca covered her ears with annoyance.

"Damn, why do you have to be so loud _all the time_?!"

"Oh my God, Beca, that's great!" Stacie exclaimed, visibly happy.

"I love couples saying 'I love you' for the first time, it's so romantic," Chloe said, with heart eyes.

"Actually, his exact words were: 'I'm crazy for you'."

"Ugh, that makes it even _more_ romantic!"

"We have to celebrate. Who's up for a margarita?"

"Stacie, don't you have a really important Statistics exam in like, six hours?" Fat Amy pointed out.

"Alcohol helps me concentrate, it's the secret of my academic success."

"I'll have one, Stacie. I really need all the help I can get," Beca said, and went to the kitchen with her.

* * *

 **A/N: Pitch Perfect 3 officially has a director! What do you think of her? I don't really care if she is inexperienced, as long as she does justice to Jeca and there's great music, I'm in.**


	6. My same

**A/N: Hi! It took me a while to upload this chapter because, as you can see, it's pretty long. I'm certain it'll be the longest chapter of the story. I hope you like it, it was very difficult to write. Please, try your best to leave a review. Sometimes I need motivation, and your lovely comments give it to me. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 _Four months later…_

 _March, 2013_

Beca Mitchell was stressed. It wasn't common for her to feel that way, but Finals were just around the corner and a lot of things weren't ready yet. The Bellas were defending their title for the first time, but if they wanted to be champions again, there was an obstacle they had to overcome first: the Trebles. Beca knew it was not going to be easy, mostly because the guys had improved their game as they wanted to recover their lost crown. The fact that the Trebles and the Bellas had a long history of hating each other wasn't helping, either, and even though they had learned to tolerate each other a little more, it had become a personal dispute between Beca and Jesse. They were both pretty competitive, and they wanted to win at any cost. So much, that they had concentrated all their efforts in preparing their respective groups for the competition.

Three days before the Finals, after rehearsals, the Bellas were still making last-minute adjustments to their repertoire.

"Beca, what if instead of singing the chorus I do the bridge?"

"That bass note has been giving me a lot of trouble, Beca. I think Chloe should do it instead."

"Maybe we should drop that part of the song and replace it with another one. What do you think, Beca?"

They were driving her nuts. For some reason she couldn't explain, it had been a lot easier the previous year.

"Stacie, you can't sing the bridge because it goes better with Cynthia-Rose's voice. But if you want to, you can sing the first verse and I'll sing the chorus. Cynthia-Rose, if you don't think you can hit the note, exchange your part with Chloe —only if she agrees. And Fat Amy, I agree with you. That verse doesn't really fit, it'd be better if we replace it with another one," she took a deep breath. "Anything else?"

The girls shook their heads.

"Okay, then. I'll see you guys tomorrow, 4:00 p.m. sharp."

They all began to pick up their stuff, except Chloe. The redhead stood beside Beca, who was too busy rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to feel less stressed.

"So, what are you and Jesse doing for your big night?" She asked, with mischief.

"What?"

"Your big night! Now listen, I know you are not into cheesy stuff, okay? But this is no ordinary occasion. I would recommend a romantic dinner with candles, flowers and music. A homemade gift is not out of the question. Now, in case you don't feel like going out, you could spend the whole evening watching movies together or playing videogames."

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Come on Beca, don't tell me you forgot tomorrow is your one-year anniversary!"

"Oh, that," Beca said, and sighed. "No, I didn't forget it. It's just I don't think we'll do anything especial."

"What? Why?" Chloe asked, disappointed.

"Finals are three days away, and we are both very busy right now."

"Well, yeah, but—"

"Besides, we haven't talked in like two weeks."

"Wait, wait, wait," Chloe said, as she flashed her palm at Beca. "You haven't talked to your boyfriend in _two weeks_?"

"That's what I just said, yeah."

"Beca!"

"Hey, don't scold me," Beca defended herself. "It was a mutual agreement. We knew our relationship could compromise our commitment to our respective groups."

"Hold on," Chloe said, as she scratched her head. "You two agreed not to have sex for two weeks because you feared it would affect your objectivity?"

"Yeap."

"As in you letting the Trebles win just to make him happy, and vice versa?"

"Pretty much."

"Okay, that's stupid."

"It works for us, it's a win-win."

"But Beca, the one-year anniversary is a big milestone! Most couples I've known don't surpass the first month."

"I know, but it's not like Jesse has called me or shown any interest in the matter, either."

"Come on, Jesse is obviously into that stuff."

"Maybe he's just as busy as I am," Beca said, as she kept her laptop in her bag and picked up the rest of her things.

 _We'll see_. Chloe said to herself.

* * *

Chloe found Jesse at Barden's dining hall roughly ten minutes after her conversation with Beca. She was almost certain the whole 'mutual agreement' was an excuse Beca had invented to stop her friend from asking anymore questions. Chloe knew her too well, and although she was aware Beca was a lost cause, Jesse was a complete different thing. He was a hopeless romantic at heart, just like she was, and Chloe was going to use it at her advantage.

She waited until the two guys who were sharing the table with him left to intercept him.

"Hi Jesse!" she happily greeted him, as she sat next to him.

"Hi Chloe!" he greeted her back, with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. A bit hungry."

"Would you like some fries?" he said, as he offered her his plate.

"Oh, delicious! I haven't eaten since this morning. I think I'll get myself a grilled cheese sandwich."

"Why?"

"I love cheese, it's God's perfect food."

He laughed.

"No, I meant why you haven't eaten since this morning."

"Oh, I had back to back classes and then a three-hour rehearsal."

"Are you guys ready for the Finals?"

"I can't tell you, you are the competition."

"But we are friends first, aren't we?"

"I'm your girlfriend's best friend, there's a difference," she corrected him. "You should ask her instead of me," she said, and winked at him.

"You bet I will," he said, and continued eating.

 _Now is the right time._

"Hey, speaking of Beca, what are you going to do tomorrow?"

"About what?"

 _Figures. Guys never remember anniversaries._

"For your anniversary. Or did you forget?"

"I always remember anniversaries."

 _Okay, there are exceptions to every rule._

"The thing is we haven't talked about it."

"Why?" Chloe asked, pretending she didn't know anything.

He shrugged.

"I guess we've both been really busy lately."

"But Jesse, it's your anniversary. It's pretty important!"

"I wish we could go out and celebrate, but what can I do? We haven't even seen each other in two weeks."

"Okay, do you want my advice?" He nodded. "Why don't you go see Beca? That way, you can both figure out your very busy schedules and plan something really fun for tomorrow. What do you think?"

"I don't know," he shook his head. "What if Beca doesn't want us to celebrate our anniversary?"

"You'll never know if you don't ask her. Maybe she hasn't said anything because she doesn't want to be one of those girls who get all crazy over anniversaries."

He remained silent, as if weighing her words.

"You are right," he said, with enthusiasm. "Do you know if she's at the Bella house?"

"She must be, unless she's as hungry as I am and wants to eat something before going to bed."

"I'm going to talk to her," he said, as he got to his feet. "Are you going to stay here?"

"Yeah, I'm starving."

"If she comes here, would you tell her I'm looking for her?"

"Of course."

"Chloe, you are the best," he grabbed his jacket and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You can eat the fries if you want."

"Oh, thanks!" She said, as Jesse left the dining hall in a hurry.

* * *

Stacie was eating cornflakes while watching _Project Runway_ when she heard the doorbell ring. She opened the door and was surprised to see Jesse standing outside.

"Oh, hi Jesse!"

"Hi Stacie. Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Then went inside, and Stacie turned off the TV.

"We haven't seen you around here lately."

"I've been busy, I'm sorry I abandoned you."

Jesse and the Bellas had a very good relationship, mostly because he was Beca's boyfriend, but also because the girls liked him and considered him a good friend.

"Can I get you anything? Not that we have much food around here, but some water, a soda?"

"No, thanks; I just ate."

"Okay."

"Is Beca home? I'd like to talk to her."

"Yeah, she's in her room. I'll call her for you."

"Thank you, Stacie."

* * *

Beca was busy arranging the songs the Bellas were going to sing at the Finals, when she heard Stacie climbing up the stairs to her bedroom.

"Hey Beca, are you busy?"

"A little. What's up?"

"Someone's looking for you."

"Who?" Beca asked as she quickly typed on her computer, not paying much attention to her friend.

"Your boyfriend."

"Jesse?"

"What, do you have another one?" Stacie said, and laughed at her own joke.

"Did he say what he wants?"

"Nope. Do you want me to tell him you are busy?"

"No, no, no, I'll go," she said. She went downstairs as Stacie went into the room she shared with Chloe. When she got to the living room, she saw Jesse quietly sitting on one of the couches.

"Hi, weirdo. What are you doing here?"

"Do I need to have a reason to visit my girlfriend?" He said, and stood up. They kissed, and it felt so good after almost two weeks of not seeing each other.

"No, of course not. It's just we had agreed not to see each other until after the Finals."

"I know, but I really needed to talk to you," he said, in a very loving way.

"Well then, I'm all ears."

"I'd like us to do something tomorrow for our anniversary," he said, and held her hands.

"Oh," he had caught her off-guard. "Like what?"

"I don't know, maybe we could go for some breakfast, or to the movies, or to grab a slice at that pizza place we went for Benji's birthday. The truth is I don't really care, as long as I get to spend the day with you," he smiled. "What do you say?"

"I'd love to, Jesse, but I don't think I can."

"Why not?" He asked, sadness covering his face.

"I have a lot of things to do. The ICCAs are this weekend and we still don't have our complete set list. We have made a lot of last-minute changes, and tomorrow we have a very important rehearsal."

"But it won't last all day, and you have a lot of free hours. Surely, you can make some room in your schedule so we can spend the afternoon together, or the morning."

"I'm sorry, Jess, but I simply don't have the time. We'll have to leave it for another day, after this whole thing is over."

"I see. Well, what can I tell you?" Jesse said, and shrugged. He seemed clearly disappointed, and Beca noticed a trace of anger in his eyes.

"Come on, don't get mad at me."

"Why do you think I'm mad at you?"

"I know you too well, I can tell when something is bothering you."

"Well, you aren't always right."

She crossed her arms, defensively.

"Why don't you tell me at once? It's obvious you are mad at me because I'm not available to celebrate our anniversary with you."

"The fact that you are not available doesn't bother me, what bothers me is that you are not even trying to pretend you're interested in celebrating our anniversary."

She laughed.

"That's a load of crap, Jesse."

Jesse looked at her, not dissimulating his anger anymore.

"Oh, so that's what my feelings are to you? A load of crap?"

"What? No!" She said, and stopped laughing. "I don't think you are understanding my point. Of course I'd rather spend the day with you, but I tell you again: _I'm_ the arranger. It's _my_ job to mix the songs; they can't do this without me."

"All I'm asking for is one hour, tops."

"Jesus, you are so stubborn!" She said, exasperated.

"Oh, I'm stubborn? You never admit when you are wrong, you don't give in!"

"You really don't get it, do you? Is it so difficult to understand?"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"Maybe I am!"

The conversation had quickly taken a turn for the worse.

"You know, Jesse? You can be really selfish."

"Selfish because I want to spend time with you?"

"No, because when something doesn't go your way, you act like a spoiled child."

"Well, if you think I'm such a stupid, selfish and spoiled child, why are you with me?"

"You are right. Maybe we should break up."

"Maybe we should."

There was an awkward silence. Beca suddenly realized what had just happened. A part of her wanted to apologize, but the other one thought it was too late for that.

"I'd better go," Jesse said, in a grimly tone. He left the house, and Beca didn't stop him.

Instead, she went upstairs and into her room.

* * *

Unknown to Beca and Jesse, the Bellas had listened to their conversation from start to finish. Now, the eight girls weren't exactly sure of what they were supposed to do or say.

"I don't think I'd ever heard them fight like that before," Cynthia-Rose said, in a whisper.

"I don't think I'd ever heard them fight _at all_ ," Stacie pointed out, with concern. "This is bad."

"What will happen now?"

"I have no idea."

"Should we do something?" Fat Amy asked.

"Like what?"

"Anything! If they don't reconcile, we will suffer the consequences."

"I don't know; I don't think Beca is in a particularly good mood right now. It would be stupid of us to bother her."

In that moment, they heard the door opening. It was Chloe, who was back from the dining hall. She went upstairs, and found the girls anxiously standing outside Beca's room.

"Hi girls, what's up?"

"Chloe, thank God you are here!" Cynthia-Rose said, as soon as she saw the redhead.

"Is something wrong?"

"Beca and Jesse had a fight. A big one."

"What?!"

"Yeah, I know what you must be thinking: ' _Beca and Jesse don't fight!_ ' But trust me, this time they did."

"But why? What happened?"

"You remember their anniversary is tomorrow, right? He came over because he wanted them to spend the day together, do something special," Stacie quickly explained. "Beca told him she didn't have time, Jesse tried to convince her, she refused. He got mad, then she got mad. Long story short, they started arguing and things got ugly."

"How ugly?"

"They talked about breaking up."

"No!" Chloe exclaimed, and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Her exact words were: ' _Maybe we should break up_ ', and he answered: ' _Maybe we should_ '."

"Oh, God. Why did she do that?"

"Hey, you know Beca. When she's angry, she has no filter."

Much to Chloe's dismay, Cynthia-Rose had an excellent point.

"Where is she right now?"

The girls pointed at Beca's door.

"She went in there after Jesse left, and hasn't come out ever since. We think she locked herself in."

"It's been forty minutes."

Chloe covered her head with her hands, in desperation.

"Ugh, it is all my fault. Damn it, why can't I just mind my own business _for_ _once_?!" She said, and began hitting herself on the head.

"What do you mean?" Stacie asked.

"Beca told me she and Jesse hadn't been spending much time together, and that they didn't even have plans for their anniversary. I understand couples don't have to be together all the time, but they hadn't seen or talked to each other in two weeks. I know it's none of my business, but I didn't want them to be strained. After the rehearsal I went looking for him, I told him anniversaries were a big thing and all of that, and practically convinced him to come and talk to Beca about it."

"You did not!"

"I thought she would like the idea, okay? She loves spending time with Jesse, and they have been together for a year. A year! How was I supposed to know she was going to react the way she did?"

"Beca was _not_ in a good mood. I guess he kind of irritated her."

"I agree with Cynthia-Rose."

"What should we do?" Chloe asked Stacie. The tall brunette didn't answer right away.

"I don't think there's something we can do. Maybe this whole thing is just a cool off; in that case, we should wait until they calm themselves. When they are ready, they will talk like civilized human beings and they will solve their differences."

"No, they won't," Chloe said. "I know them. Beca is proud, she will not look for him even if she's dying inside. And Jesse probably feels like she offended him. The more time it passes, the more difficult it'll be for them to reconcile."

"What's your suggestion, then?"

"I need to talk to Beca. I will fix this."

"Ginger, don't you think you have already done enough? Maybe it would be better to leave things the way they are now."

"It's my fault hell broke loose in the first place, so it's my job to fix it. And _I will_ ," Chloe repeated, with determination.

* * *

The Bellas lived in a three-story house roughly half a mile away from Barden, next door from the Treble house. The house had a kitchen, dining room, living room, a small backyard, and five dormitories in which the ten girls slept. The room Beca shared with Fat Amy was located in the top floor of the house. For years it had been used as an attic, but the two girls remodeled it and transformed it into a lovely space that looked more like a small apartment than a college dormitory. The door was located at the bottom of a stair, which gave the room a sense of privacy that was difficult to find in a house with ten people living in it.

Chloe waited until all the Bellas had gone to sleep to go knock on Beca's door. She knew there was a great chance her friend would ignore her knocks, and even if she let her into her room, nothing guaranteed she would listen to what she had to say. Still, Chloe knew she had to try it, as there was too much at stake.

"Beca," she said, as she knocked on the door. "Beca, it's Chloe. Can I come in, please? I need to talk to you."

There was no answer.

"Beca, are you in there?"

 _Of course she is, don't be stupid. What kind of question is that?_

Then, she heard Beca's voice from upstairs.

"Come in, Chlo."

Chloe went inside the room and saw Beca lying in her bed, her laptop in her legs and her Beats around her neck.

"What are you doing up so late?" Chloe asked her, trying to sound as casual as she could. It wasn't really that late, but she couldn't think of a better opening line.

"No particular reason. Besides, it's only midnight. It's not that late."

"I thought you were going to go to the dining hall. I waited for you for almost an hour."

"I wasn't hungry, I'm sorry."

If upset, Beca didn't show. She was very good at hiding her feelings, an ability that frustrated Chloe. It was always better to confront her. Otherwise, she wouldn't say a word.

"Listen, Beca," she said, as she sat in her bed beside her. "The girls told me about your fight with Jesse."

"Of course those noisy bitches heard it all," Beca said, and kept typing. Chloe closed the laptop without asking Beca, and her fingers got caught.

"Hey!" Beca protested.

"Listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you want to chop off my fingers?"

"Why did you two fight, Beca? What did you do?"

"Why do you think I was the one who something wrong?"

"Because I know you. Just tell me at once, I will find out anyway."

Beca tossed her laptop aside in her bed, and crossed her arms. She told Chloe everything about her fight with Jesse, including the part in which they broke up.

"In my defense," Beca said, as Chloe shook her head, "I was so mad I don't even remember what I said. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"That makes sense. When you are angry, you say things that you don't really mean."

"Now, I won't deny he caught me in a bad mood, but he was being too insistent."

"He is Jesse, he is _always_ insistent. I thought you had learned to love that part of him."

"Damn it, Chloe. Which side are you in?"

"This is not about sides, Beca, it's about what's right."

"So you think it was my fault we fought?"

"No, I don't. And it wasn't Jesse's either."

"Then whose?"

Chloe took a deep breath.

"It was mine."

Beca looked at her friend, with surprise.

"What?"

"I'm the one responsible you two fought."

"Can you please explain yourself?"

"After the rehearsal, I went looking for Jesse. I found him at the dining hall, and I convinced him to come talk to you about doing something for your anniversary. He would have respected your agreement if it hadn't been for me," Chloe lowered her head, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Beca. I never meant for any of this to happen."

Beca looked at her friend, first in disbelief, then in shock, and finally, in anger.

"Why would you do something like that?"

"You have come a long way, and I didn't think you two spending your anniversary apart was right. Not after everything you've gone through."

"What goes on between me and Jesse is none of your business, Chloe."

"You are right, it's none of my business," Chloe said, hurt. "I was only trying to help, but I realize I made a terrible mistake. But I only did it because I care for you guys, and I never thought it would all end this way," she made a small pause. "Beca, let me ask you something: did you really want to break up with Jesse, or was it something you said in the heat of the moment?"

Beca didn't answer her friend's question right away. Instead she covered her face with her hands.

"Of course I didn't want to break up with him, I don't even know why I said those things."

"You wanna know what I think?" Beca nodded. "I think you got scared."

"Of what?"

"Of you and Jesse lasting this much. You didn't think you would last beyond the first month, and here you are a year later. You have grown too attached to him, and you hate yourself for that. That's why you went from 0 to 100 in thirty seconds in your first real fight, and broke up with him out of nowhere. Things are getting serious between you two. It's not that you don't love him anymore —because you do—, it's because you have fear of commitment."

Beca weighed her friend's words.

"I don't think I have fear of commitment, it's more like fear of intimacy. Ever since I was a child, I push people away emotionally or retreat from their affection. I don't rely on others out of fear of being hurt. I experienced a lot of rejection and that's why I shut down. It's a lot easier than getting screwed over and over again by the people you love."

"Beca, you should really see my therapist."

"I don't need a therapist, I just need to stop doing this to myself. The only thing is I don't know how."

"Why don't you talk to him? But now, without screaming at each other."

"I don't think he wants to see me. I called him stupid."

"And he called you stubborn. Let's be honest, Beca; you both behaved like assholes. But Jesse loves you more than anything on this world. He's probably feeling hurt, just like you. I bet he's dying to see you, just like you are dying to see him."

Beca didn't know what to do. She didn't want to be one of those girls who begged guys to stay with them. On the other hand, she didn't want to lose Jesse over some silly argument. He was too important for her, and she wasn't ready to let him go.

"Okay, I'll talk to him after we come back from New York."

"Why not tomorrow?"

"I can't, we have the rehearsal."

"Screw the rehearsal, I can handle it," Chloe reassured her, with a smile. "I can manage without you for a couple of hours. You go and make up with Jesse."

Fine, I'll go see him tomorrow morning. But if he doesn't want to talk to me, I won't insist."

"He will, trust me."

* * *

The next morning, at 8:00 a.m., Beca went to the Treble house. She knew Jesse would be alone as the other guys had earlier classes, while his began at 8:30. She wasn't sure of what she would tell him, especially since the last time she tried to apologize for being rude to him, he slammed his door right in her face. Still, it was worth the try.

She knocked three times, and waited until someone opened the door. A few seconds later, it opened, revealing Jesse on the other side. He seemed happy to see her, although a trace of sadness covered his face.

"Hi, Jesse."

"Hi, Beca. What can I do for you?"

"We need to talk. Can I come in?"

"Sure," he said, and stepped aside so she could go into the house. "Can I offer you anything?"

"No, thanks."

"Sit, please," he said, as he pointed at one of the red couches.

"I prefer to remain standing."

"As you wish. What did you want to talk about?"

His formality was hurting her, but she was determined to sound as natural as she could.

"About us."

He didn't say anything, and Beca took it as a good sign. If he'd had no intentions of listen to her, he would have stopped her midsentence.

"Listen Jess, I'm sorry for what happened yesterday. I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did. We both behaved like idiots, we said things that, although true, we shouldn't have said."

"Which one of those 'things' you consider to be true?"

 _Huh, he wants me to call him stupid so he can have a good reason to be angry at me. I won't fall in his tramp._

"I said you are stubborn, which you are, but so am I. I called you selfish, but I'm selfish, too. Sometimes you act like a spoiled child, just like me. You see where I'm going with this?"

Again, he didn't say anything.

"I enjoy my privacy, but you love being with other people. I'm adventurous, you are a bit more cautious. My point is although it might seem we don't match at all, we do. We are different, but we are also very much alike. I like that we have similar opinions and interests, but I also like the fact that sometimes I don't share your points of view, and you don't share mine. I love our differences, because they make me a better person. And because of that, I don't want this to end. I don't want us to break up. So please, forgive me for what I said. I didn't mean it."

Jesse looked at her, although he didn't seem sad or angry anymore. Instead, he looked ashamed.

"You don't have to apologize for anything, Beca," he said, as he shook his head. "The whole thing was my fault. I shouldn't have talked to you the way I did. I should have realized you were busy, but I didn't understand. It's not fair you are the one who came to ask for forgiveness when I'm the one who started the argument."

"You know what? Who started it doesn't matter anymore. What matters is that we are both sorry, right?"

"Right," he made a small pause. "I didn't really want us to break up. I just said it because _you_ said it."

"And I didn't really mean it."

"So, are we good?"

"I guess we are," she said, with a smile. "All is forgotten."

"Does that mean I can kiss you?"

"Just with one condition," she said, very serious. "Let's promise each other that, no matter what happens, we will never have a fight like that ever again. That we will listen to each other, and we won't lose our temper. It's a promise we make today."

"I promise," he said, as he put his hand on his heart.

"Okay. You can kiss me now."

And so he did.

"And those differences you say? Well, I thought I knew myself, but somehow you know me more. I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you."

"I guess I'm more observant than you are," she said, and they kissed again.

"Beca?"

"Yeah?"

"Happy anniversary."

 _You say I'm stubborn and I never give in_

 _I think you're stubborn 'cept your always softening_

 _You say I'm selfish I agree with you on that_

 _I think you're giving I think way too much in fact_

 _You like to be so close I like to be alone_

 _I like to sit on chairs and you prefer the floor_

 _Walking with each other think we'd never match at all_

 _But we do_

 _I thought I knew myself somehow you know me more_

 _I've never known this never before_

 _You are the first to make up whenever we argue_

 _I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you_

 _You're so prerogative I'm so conservative_

 _You're so adventurous I'm so very cautious_

 _Combining you'd think we wouldn't_

 _But we do…_

* * *

 **A/N: This will be the last 'happy' chapter. I don't think it will take me long to update, as next chapter was the first one I thought about. Do you think you can guess which song gives it its name?**


	7. First love Pt 1

**A/N:Hi guys, happy new year! I'm sorry I haven't updated this in quite some time, but I've been really busy. Hopefully, I will update this regularly now. I decided to break this chapter into two parts because, otherwise, it would have been a really long chapter. I hope you enjoy this first part :)**

* * *

 ** _One year and a half later…_**

 **August, 2014**

"Beca, are you sure you don't want me to go with you?"

"I'm sure, Jess. You will get all bored in DC, better stay here with the guys."

"But my girl will perform for the POTUS, I _really_ wanna see that!"

They were taking a walk in the gardens of campus. They were a few days away from beginning their senior year at Barden, and the Bellas had been selected to perform for the President on his birthday. It was a big honour, and although the pressure was high, Beca was certain they would do an amazing job.

"You won't be able to see us perform anyway, they won't let you into the building because you are not one of the especial guests."

"That's true, but—"

"Besides, you guys have to get ready for your performance at the orientation event for the freshmen."

"Oh shoot!" Jesse said, and put his hand on his forehead. "I completely forgot about it."

"You are kidding."

"I'm not."

"Dude!"

"Don't worry Becs, we'll figure something out; we always do. Besides, we still have like a month to prepare it, and I have a great song in mind."

"You guys never fail to impress me. We've been rehearsing our thing for three weeks and we still don't nail it."

"It's because we are more practical, we like to be spontaneous."

"It's easy for you to say it, you get to perform for a bunch of freshmen whose only worry is how they are going to survive without mommy for four years. I like being spontaneous, too. However, I'm afraid there's not much room left for spontaneity when you are performing for the President."

"I thought you weren't nervous about this whole thing."

"I'm not. As a matter of fact, I'm certain we'll do a great job," she said, with confidence.

"I'm certain too. However, I think you should leave the kickass choreography and the big production behind. This isn't the ICCAs, you don't need to impress the jury. Just sing your heart out instead."

"I'll keep it mind."

* * *

 _ **Two days later...**_

"Welcome back, a Cappella enthusiasts! I'm John Smith and sitting to my right is Gail Abernathy-McCadden Feinberger."

"This one's gonna stick, John," she said, as she pointed to her wedding ring. They were both in the press box, waiting for the military band to finish their song so the Bellas could take the stage.

"You are listening to 'Let's Talkappella', the world's premiere downloadable a Cappella podcast."

"We are coming to you live from our nation's capital, where the Barden University Bellas are about to rock the historic Kennedy Center."

"These ladies have broken down every barrier in their path, haven't they, Gail?"

"So right, John. The first all-female group to win a national title. Three-time defending champs. And now here they are performing for the President of the United States on his birthday."

The Bellas came out, and sang their mash-up of ' _We Got the World_ ' and ' _Timber_ '. They sounded amazing, their harmonies and choreography were perfect. Obviously, they were at the top of their game, and they were delighting everyone in the crowd. Then, as they transitioned to ' _Wrecking Ball_ ', Fat Amy descended from the roof. She was sitting in a harness, and began spinning and flipping while in the air.

"Wow, what a surprise!"

"An overweight girl dangling from the ceiling," John said, bewildered. "Who hasn't had that dream?"

"Lots of us!"

However, as Fat Amy spun and flipped upside down, she lost control and her clothes ripped at the seam, exposing her butt to the audience. Everyone gasped, terrified, including John and Gail.

"She has no underwear on. We have a commando situation! There is a commando situation on stage!" John exclaimed, as he held on to Gail's shoulders.

The Bellas looked at her friend, and frantically tried to do something to stop the harness from turning to the audience. A hopeless Beca noticed Fat Amy's arms were caught up in the fabric, so she was unable to cover herself.

"She's turning. She's turning!"

"Not the front! Nobody wants to see the front!"

Then, the harness stopped turning, and the unthinkable happened.

* * *

"Oh… my God," Jesse said, mortified. He and Benji were having breakfast when they saw the 'Muffgate' news in _The Today Show_. "This can't be happening. Not to them."

"This is so embarrassing. And in front of the President!"

"It's like a nightmare. It's the Aubrey incident all over again."

"Although this time instead of vomit it was Fat Amy's—"

"I get it, man," Jesse said. He covered his face with his hands. "This is not good _at all_."

"You should call Beca. She must be a wreck."

"I will. Although I can assure you she is so pissed she won't want to talk to me —or anyone, for that matter."

Unfortunately for Jesse, Beca didn't pick up her phone. He tried to call her several times, without answer. He figured she was either sleeping or, as he had predicted, she was so pissed she didn't want to talk to anybody, not even him. He decided to wait until her return from DC, and went to the dining hall to grab a snack. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the mess the Bellas had gotten themselves into.

Most of the times, Beca didn't give a shit about what people thought or said about her. However, there was nothing she hated more than public humiliation. Jesse knew the whole 'Muffgate' incident would haunt her for weeks, months, and even years, and although he hadn't seen or talked to her yet, he could imagine her current state of mind.

 _The ICCA will sanction them, no doubt. I just hope they don't get too severe._ He said to himself, as he left the Treble house and walked outside the Bella house. _After all, it wasn't their fault. I mean, come on; anyone can suffer a wardrobe malfunction._

He wished he had gone to DC with her, although there was nothing he could have done to prevent Fat Amy's clothes from ripping. Still, he knew he could at least offer Beca some much needed support. After all, supporting her was one of his jobs as her boyfriend.

* * *

After eating, he went back to the Treble house. Before he went inside, he took a quick look at the girls' place to see if they had already made it back from DC. However, their van was still missing from its parking spot. He sighed and entered the house, and went straight to his room to take a nap.

He was woken up by some knocks on his door. Jesse hated when the guys interrupted him during his nap, so he decided to ignore them and go back to sleep, so he rolled to the other side of his bed. However, whoever was on the other side of the door was getting impatient, and kept knocking with insistence. He groaned, annoyed, and stood up. He opened the door and, although his sight was still fuzzy, he recognized Beca's small figure standing right in front of him. She seemed really upset, and Jesse got scared. Suddenly, he wished he hadn't waited so long to answer the door.

"Becs!" He exclaimed, surprised. "When did you— "

"Like three minutes ago," she interrupted him, clearly irritated. "Can I come in?"

When Beca was in a bad mood, she always went straight to the point.

"Of course," he said, and moved along so she could enter his room. He noticed she was still carrying her luggage.

"Before you ask about this," she said, noticing his stare, "I haven't gone home yet. As soon as I got out from that stupid van I came here."

"Why?"

"I needed some rest from the girls, it was a ten-hour drive. I didn't sleep last night, I haven't eaten or peed yet, so please, if I'm rude to you, try not to take it personal."

"I'll do my best."

Beca put her luggage in Jesse's closet, and slumped down into his bed. He sat next to her and gently caressed her brown hair.

"You must be exhausted."

"I am," she said, with her eyes closed.

"Do you wanna eat something? I can make you a sandwich."

"I'm not hungry, thanks."

"How are you?" He asked her, although he knew what her answer would be.

"I've been better."

"I'm really sorry about what happened, Becs."

She sat up in the bed, and looked at him with surprise.

"You know?"

"Beca, everyone who owns a TV must know by now; it's all over the news," he immediately regretted his words. "That came out wrong. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

However, instead of snapping at him, she laughed.

"You are right. It figures the whole country already knows," she said, through laughter. "Because this wasn't embarrassing enough!"

Jesse looked at her, a little scared at her reaction.

"I'm glad you can laugh at it."

"Either I laugh or I cry, and you know how much I hate crying," she said, as she laid back on the bed. "Man, I wonder what my dad must be thinking right now. He'll probably cut me off."

"But it wasn't your fault, Becs. Not that it was Fat Amy's, either, but I honestly believe it was just a very unfortunate accident."

"Yeah, an accident that'll cost us dear."

"You think the ICCA will punish you?"

"Honestly, I don't know," she said, and sat up in the bed again. "Fat Amy will issue an official apology tomorrow, and they are sending two representatives next month to talk to the Dean. I have no idea how this is gonna end, but I'm certain they won't let this go. I'm almost certain they will suspend us."

"What do the other girls say?"

"Not much. They are all hanging on, except Chloe. Last night she went completely catatonic. It was a big hit for her."

"I can only imagine."

"But she won't go down without a fight. Neither of us will; _that_ I can assure you."

"I believe you."

"Would you mind if we change the subject? I'm too tired to talk about this."

"Of course."

They remained quiet for a brief moment, enjoying the silence in the room. Beca seemed much more calmed than when she arrived, which Jesse took as a good sign.

"I didn't tell you before, but I applied for an internship at a record label."

"Really?" She nodded. "Which one?"

" _Residual Heat_."

Jesse didn't know much about music production, but he knew _Residual Heat_ was one of the most important labels in the country.

That is so amazing, Becs. I'm so proud of you."

"I don't think they'll accept me, but at least I tried. I guess that's better than nothing."

"It definitely is. I'm so proud of you."

"What about you? Anything important while I was gone?"

"Just the usual stuff; nothing to worry about."

"Good."

* * *

 ** _One month later…_**

 **September, 2014**

That morning, before leaving with the other Trebles for the orientation event, Jesse went to the Bella house to see Beca and the girls. Their audience with the Dean and the ICCA representatives was in 20 minutes, at 10 o'clock, and he wanted to show them his support. He ran into Fat Amy as she was leaving the house with Cynthia-Rose and Stacie.

"Hi girls."

"Hi Jesse! What's up?"

"I just wanted to wish you luck in your audience. I'm sorry I can't be there."

"You are so sweet, thank you very much," Stacie said. "I just hope the Dean doesn't get too severe."

"Everything's gonna be okay, you didn't do anything wrong."

"If you think about it, I'm actually the victim! I sustained very painful fabric burns in my butt."

"I know, Amy. I'm sure the guys from the ICCA will be considerate."

Then, Beca appeared in the front door.

"Girls, move! We can't be late," in that moment, she saw Jesse. "Oh, hi Jess. What are you doing here? Don't you have a performance in like, 10 minutes?"

"I came to show you and the girls my support. I'll be sending you good vibes from afar."

"Thanks. We are gonna need them."

"I'm sorry I can't be there. I tried to get myself out of this gig, but it wasn't possible."

"Don't worry Jess, I understand. I can't believe I won't see you perform, but those idiots couldn't come another day. I was really looking forward to it," she said, with real sorrow.

"I don't think you'll miss much," he said, trying to cheer her up. "But I'll ask one of the guys from staff to record it so you can watch it later."

"Oh, by the way, no flirting with freshman girls, okay?" she warned him.

"When have you caught me flirting with one?"

"Never, but I don't want this to be the first time just because I'm not there."

"I will behave. As a matter of fact, I'm gonna print a photo of the two of us, and if anyone tries to hit on me, I'm gonna tell them: 'back off. Do you see this girl? She's the owner of my thoughts.'"

"I don't think that'll be necessary."

"Beca, we have to go," Cynthia-Rose interrupted them. "Chloe and the other girls are already waiting for us on campus."

"Right. I'll come by the Treble house later to tell you how it went."

"Good luck. It'll all be fine."

"Thanks. You too."

* * *

"Chloe, chill out. It was a mistake, they're not gonna burn us for witchcraft."

The redhead was nervously pacing in front of the Bellas while they waited for the Dean to receive them. Although Beca understood it was a delicate matter and was aware of how much was at stake, Chloe was beginning to get in her nerves.

"No, but the National a Cappella Asociation is in there talking to the Dean about us, and who knows what's gonna happen!" She said, as she anxiously pointed at the door of the Dean's office.

"We've won three championships. Whatever happens in there, we're gonna be fine," in that moment, Beca saw her oportunity to express what she really thought. "Maybe it's time to think about other stuff."

"What other stuff?"

"You know, school, jobs... life."

Chloe furiously looked at her, and Beca wished she hadn't opened her mouth.

"This group _is_ my life. I've intentionally failed Russian Lit _three_ times so I can be a Bella!"

 _Yikes_. Beca thought. Chloe was obviously not in the mood to discuss life outside the Bellas, so Beca decided it would be a better idea to just shut up and keep her opinions to herself.

Chloe dropped into her chair, clearly devastated.

"This is the worst thing that's ever happened to of us! Ever!"

Flo patted her back, trying to cheer her up.

"You know, before coming to Barden, I had diarrhea for seven years," however, after noticing Chloe's brutal stare, she quickly clarified. "But yes, this is terrible."

In that moment, the Dean's secretary approached them.

"The Dean is ready for you tramps," she said, in a very judgamental tone.

 _Here goes nothing_. Beca said to herself, and they went inside.

* * *

"Ladies, you have dragged the good name of Barden University into the gutter," the Dean said, with severity. "And you've really upset these people, whose names I've already forgotten."

Sitting beside the Dean were a blonde woman and a grey-haired man. Beca recognized them as the people who narrated the competitions, although she had only seen them in a couple of occasions. They were both looking at the Bellas with extreme rejection and disaproval.

"Your little southern exposure in front of the Commander-In-Chief has irreparably damaged the entire institution of a cappella," the man angrily said. "Funding has dropped, sponsors are pulling out. Unfortunately, an example must be made."

"It is the decision of this governing body that the Bellas are hereby suspended from competing at the collegiate level."

All the girls gasped, except for Beca. Apparently, she had been the only one who saw the suspension coming. Still, she found herself extremely bothered by the verdict.

"The terms of your suspension are laid out in this document. I'm sorry, but it's over."

Chloe took the file from the woman, and immediately read it. Beca, on the other hand, decided it was time to step up.

"Okay, can we be reasonable? Fat Amy apologized. It was an accident," she said, clearly annoyed.

"Was it?"

 _These dudes are overreacting. But I don't think we'll win anything by arguing with them._

"You're taking us off our victory tour?" Chloe said, with concern. "Who's going to sing the national anthem at the Puppy Bowl?"

"You're being replaced by the European champions. A German group of total professionals."

"In other words, they'll keep their pants on," John added.

 _Twist the knife in a little deeper, you prick._

"So we can't defend our title, we can't tour—"

"And you can't hold any auditions," the Dean interrupted Chloe. "We don't need your ranks to grow like a fungus."

"Oh, so that's it, then. So basically, the Bellas are over," she said, almost crying. Beca put her hand on her friend's shoulder to comfort her.

"Look, ladies, I'm sorry that this disciplinary action has shocked you, especially since you are all are seniors," John said. "But the truth is, you're just women. And you'll all be pregnant soon."

None of the girls said anything, as they were too upset to talk. Beca was almost certain Chloe was on the edge of a nervous breakdown. However, the redhead continued reading the document, as if she were looking for something.

"Hold on," she said, as she quickly turned the pages. "There's nothing in here that strips us of our ICCA title. And if we're still reigning champs, then we're automatically invited to represent America at the World Championship this spring."

 _The World… what?_

"Ah, yes," Gail said, proudly. "The World Championship of a Cappella, where every four years, groups from around the globe compete for world domination."

 _There's a World Championship?_

"Look, ladies, we can't stop you from World's competition, but it's not going to help your case here." John said, not very optimistic.

"Not at _all_."

Beca could not believe a thing such as the World Championship of a Cappella existed. However, a brilliant idea crossed her mind.

"What if we win it?"

John and Gail burst out laughing, as if Beca had told them the funniest joke in the world.

"What if you win it? What if you _win it_?" They both said, through laughter.

"How do you fit such big dreams in such a small body?" John asked Beca, who felt slightly offended. "What if you _win_ _it_?"

"Yeah. If we win it, will you reinstate us?" She said, defiantly. John and Gail laughed even harder.

"Sure," Gail said, with tears in her eyes. "But no American team has _ever_ won."

"That's because they hate us."

"The whole world!"

"The whole world hates us!"

They weren't taking them seriously anymore, and it seemed as if they didn't have any intention of stopping laughing.

"Can we go?" Beca mouthed at the Dean. He nodded and motioned at the door. As they exited the office, the girls looked at each other with newfound hope.

* * *

In Jesse's opinion, the Trebles' performance had gone well. It hadn't been their best, but he was confident it had been enough to convince the freshmen to join the group. With some luck, by the end of the week they would have two or three new members.

After the performance, he and Benji spent the next hour inviting freshmen to their Tikki party next Monday. Although most freshmen were indifferent and apathetic, some of them were pretty nice and easy-going. They even met a cute girl called Emily, who apparently liked a cappella and had thrown Benji completely off his feet.

By noon they were both back at the Treble house. The rest of the Trebles weren't there, and Jesse thought they had probably gone looking for young freshmen girls to conquer. However, the house wasn't empty; Beca was outside by the pool playing with Squeaks, the boys' pet pig.

"That audience didn't take long."

"Yeah. I don't know if that's good or bad. I'm scared to ask."

"Obviously, she wants to talk to you," he patted Jesse's back. "I'm gonna give you guys some privacy. I'll be in my room," he said, and walked away. Jesse sighed, he went outside and sat next to Beca.

"Hey," he greeted her. "How did it go?"

"Not well," she said, as she playfully tossed Squeaks aside. "As a matter of fact, it went pretty bad. You are not gonna like it."

"Don't tell me."

"The ICCA suspended us from ever competing again."

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously."

"Crap!" He exclaimed, mortified. "Assholes!"

"We saw it coming a month ago, Jess. It wasn't really a surprise."

"Well, yeah, but we never thought it would be such a harsh punishment!"

"What can I tell you?" She said, with resignation. "It's already done. The Bellas are over."

Jesse shook his head.

"But there must be something you can do."

Maybe Beca had given up on hope, but he wasn't willing to do so.

"There _is_ something, but it ain't gonna be easy."

"Go on."

"The ICCA didn't strip us of our National title, which means we can still participate in the World Championship of a Cappella next spring. If we win, they will reinstate us."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"I didn't know there was a World Championship."

"Neither did I. The whole thing was Chloe's idea."

"Well, I think it's brilliant. I mean, it's worth the try, right?"

"Right," she said, although not in a very convincing tone. "Although I wonder if it's worth it."

"What do you mean? Of course it's worth it. Otherwise the Bellas will disappear, and that can't happen. You girls are an institution."

"I'm aware of that. However, I'm afraid I'm not as worried as I should be."

"I'm not sure I'm following."

Beca took a deep breath.

"Ever since the 'Muffgate' thing, I've been thinking. Maybe it's time to leave all this behind, to move on. God knows I've enjoyed being a Bella, but I'm graduating in a few months. And I have dreams, you know? There are so many things I wanna do with my life," she made a pause, and looked at Jesse. "Besides, who knows? Perhaps the Bellas disappearing could be the best thing to happen to us. It will force us to grow up and to leave our comfort zone. I mean, look at Chloe. She is so afraid to live, she fears change so much she is throwing away the best years of her life just to stay in the group."

Jesse had always known Beca was the most realistic member of the group. Actually, he hadn't met another person who shared her ability to remain focussed and make plans for the future even in such a harsh time. Still, her words had surprised him. She had grown up so much in the past three years, and he was proud of her for that.

"I see your point."

"I'm sorry if I'm being cynical, but I'm so tired, Jess. I'm tired of competing, I'm tired of performing. Perhaps it's time to let it go."

He smiled at her, and caressed her cheek.

"You are not being cynical, Becs. If anything, you are just being practical. You are focusing on the future, not the past. That's a good thing."

"Is it?"

"Yeah, it's one of the things I admire the most about you."

"You don't really mean that."

"I do! I don't lie; at least, not to you," she smiled. "Besides, it's not like you are abandoning them. You wouldn't be capable of doing such thing."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you love them. You don't abandon the people you love."

"No, you don't," she sighed. "Well, I guess I'll have to update my passport."

"So you _are_ going to the Worlds; for real."

"I don't think I have a choice. Those nerds wanna go, so I'm screwed."

Jesse laughed.

"Are you their bodyguard?"

"Sort of. They can't take care of themselves. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't last 10 minutes without me."

 _Yes, they need her._ He thought. _And she needs them, although she will never accept it._

"Anyway," she continued, "whatever happens, happens. I don't really wanna think about it, I have more important things in my mind right now."

"Like what?"

"Remember I told you I applied for an internship at _Residual Heat_?"

"I'm pretty sure I wouldn't forget something like that."

A smile appeared on her face.

"They called me today. I'm in!"

He hugged her and kissed her in the forehead.

"I told you they were gonna hire you!"

"It never crossed my mind they would actually hire me. I still can't believe it."

"Just wait and see, Becs. This is only the beginning of your career; trust me."

"God, I hope so. I'm gonna need you to drive me there on Monday."

"Sure."

"And one more thing," she said, in a more cautious tone. "Not a word of this to _anybody_ , okay? Not even Benji."

"Why?" He asked, confused.

"Because I haven't told the girls yet, and I don't want them to find out while they are fooling around or drinking with one of the guys."

Jesse thought it was odd Beca hadn't told her friends about her new job.

"Okay, I won't tell anybody. But you _will_ tell them, right?"

"Of course, but there are certain things you have to wait for the right time to share."

"Right."


	8. First love Pt 2

**A/N: Hi guys! Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. This is a very special one for me, so please, if you like it, leave a comment. I would really appreciate it :)**

* * *

 ** _A few days later…_**

 **September,** **2014**

As promised, Jesse drove Beca to her first day of work at _Residual Heat_. He parked his blue _Golf_ outside the recording studio's medium-sized, white building. He could tell Beca was nervous, although she hadn't said anything during the trip.

"So Lil Wayne's recorded here, huh?" Was the first thing that came into his mind.

"Yeah, and was arrested here twice."

"Really?"

"I can't believe they hired me."

"Of course they did! You rock the party that rocks the body."

She gave him a skeptical look.

"I don't know where to begin with that."

"I stand by it," he simply said, and exited the car. He pulled Beca's computer bag from the back seat, as she gave a quick look at the building.

"So… any first day jitters?"

"No," she said, a little cocky. "I'm just gonna act all moody and distant. Artists love that."

"I know I love that," they both cracked a smile. "Here you go," he said, and handed her the bag. She looked as if she was about to enter the building, but quickly turned to Jesse.

"Dude, why do I feel so guilty? I've given a lot to the Bellas, right? Like, three years of my life."

Jesse knew Beca needed his support, and there was only one thing he could say to make her feel better.

"Yeah, Bec, you should not feel guilty at all for taking your shot!"

Unknown to Beca, he was also speaking to himself.

"This is a big deal, right?" She asked, as he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, this is a _very_ big deal."

She nodded. She kissed him goodbye and headed inside. However, Jesse didn't leave right away.

"Nothing's gonna stop my girl!" He shouted. Beca began walking faster, embarrassed.

"I don't know him!" She yelled, as she turned the corner of the building.

"Becs in effects y'all!"

"You can go now!"

He got back in his car and drove off.

* * *

That night was the Trebles' Tiki party. Jesse was looking forward to Beca telling him everything about her first day of work, although he knew she probably wouldn't be able to make it to the party. However, he was also feeling anxious because there was something really important he needed to tell her, the sooner the better, but he didn't know how he was supposed to tell her he had been accepted to USC's Film School, and that he would be leaving for Los Angeles in a few months.

He sent his application on an impulse. He had applied for a full scholarship and never thought they would accept him, and that's why he hadn't said a word to Beca. However, they _did_ accept him, and he was supposed to start next January. Now, January was only four months away, which meant he had to tell Beca as soon as possible about his scholarship and his imminent departure. He figured he had to find a right time to tell her, as it was a very delicate matter. He was confident their relationship would survive, as it would take more than two time zones to break them apart, but he didn't know how Beca would react to him sending his application without telling her first.

They had previously talked about moving together to LA after graduating. Surprisingly, Beca had been the one to bring out the subject. She said she was aware Jesse wanted to go to film school to become a composer, and that she was willing to go with him because living in LA had been a life-long dream for her, and she intended to pursue a career in music production there. They had both agreed to discuss the topic again in the future, when graduation was closer; however, they hadn't talked about it in months, and Jesse was afraid Beca had changed her mind.

He was thinking in all this when he spotted the Bellas entering the house. He thought it was funny that both groups finally got along after years of rivalry. Maybe Jesse and Beca's relationship had something to do with that, plus the fact that they literally lived next door from the other. Of course, they still argued from time to time, but they mostly argued about the boys' pig going to the girls' house just to crap in their backyard and to raid in their trash.

"Bellas!" He greeted them. "Welcome, welcome, welcome!"

"Jesse!" Chloe said, as she waived around her yellow cup. "Where's Beca? I thought she was gonna be with you tonight."

"I thought she was with you."

"I thought she was with _you_."

Jesse was surprised Chloe didn't know about Beca's whereabouts. Clearly, she hadn't told her best friend about her new job.

"Well, I have no idea where she is. She owes both of us an explanation!" He joked, hoping Chloe wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Yeah, she does," Chloe said, and squinted at Jesse, as if she suspected he was hiding something from her.

"Okay ladies, we've got pizza, beer and more pizza over there, on the picnic table," he said, to deviate Chloe's attention from him. "Suit yourselves, and enjoy the party!"

All the girls dispersed, including Chloe, and Jesse sighed with relief.

 _I wonder why Beca didn't tell Chloe about her job_.

* * *

By the time Beca left _Residual Heat_ 's offices, she was completely exhausted. She and the other interns had spent the whole day following Sammy (the music producer in charge) around the building, taking notes at everything he said and trying as best as they could not to piss him off –which, apparently, wasn't hard to achieve. Beca had decided her strategy to survive in that place would consist in maintaining a low profile. Thankfully, she was used to that.

She took a cab back to Barden and, for a moment, she thought about skipping the Trebles' party. However, she really wanted to see Jesse and share with him the details of her day. Besides, this would be her last hood night party, and she didn't want to miss it. So, instead of heading to the Bella house, she went over to the boys'.

She found Jesse sitting by himself at the tiki bar.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, as she jumped out from behind him. He startled and almost spilled his drink. "Oh, I'm sorry," she said, and gave him a kiss.

"Hey! You made it!"

"Couldn't miss our last hood night party," she sat in a chair beside him and closed her eyes for a second.

"So… how was the internship?" He urged her.

"Eye opening. They do not mess around!"

"Chloe asked where you were. Why didn't you tell her?"

"Oh, she's just…" She didn't really know how to answer Jesse's question. "She's like, locked into the Worlds right now, and I'm looking for the right time. I'll tell her."

They both looked over at the Bellas, who were dancing by the pool. Jesse nudged her arm.

"You seem tired. Come on, I know exactly what you need after a long day of work," he said, with a smile. They both crossed over to the Bellas, and laughed and sang the night away.

A few hours later, everybody in the party was drunk. However, nobody was as drunk as Chloe. She had cannonballed into the pool and had to be carried back to the Bella house by Cynthia-Rose, Ashley and Jessica.

"I'M OKAAAY!" She yelled, as the three girls struggled to keep her on her feet. "SERIOUSLYYYYYY, I DIDN'T EVEN DRINK THAT MUUUUUUCH!"

"We know you didn't," Cynthia-Rose said.

"I LOOOOVE YOU GIRLS SOOOOO MUCH! I LOOOOVE BEING A BELLA!"

"Are you sure they can handle it?" Jesse asked Beca, as they looked at them from afar. "She can stay here, there's no problem with us."

"Don't worry, they are professionals," Beca said. "Chloe _always_ gets drunk at parties, we are used to it."

He laughed.

"So, see you tomorrow for breakfast?"

"I don't think I can. Before she lost the ability to communicate in a logical way, Chloe said she wanted us to go to the car show."

"For what?"

"She wants to see the German group that will replace us in our victory tour."

"Oh, she wants to scout the competition."

"Yeah. I don't really see the point but…" She shrugged. Chloe's screams could still be heard in the distance. "I'll call you and we'll go to the movies on Friday, okay?"

"Okay," he kissed her. "Good night, and good luck tomorrow."

"Good night."

* * *

 _ **A few days later...**_

Beca could hear her phone ringing in her nightstand. However, she was so tired she didn't answer it. Their rival group, Das Sound Machine, turned out to be better than they expected. Chloe wanted the girls to rehearse all weekend, and Beca had stayed up late the previous night working on musical arrangements. However, she wasn't inspired, and hadn't come up with anything for the girls to sing. She knew Chloe would be pissed, but lately, her friend was _always_ pissed.

The phone stopped ringing and Beca tried to fall back asleep, but it was too late; she was already fully awake. She sighed with resignation, and got out of bed. She reached for her phone in her nightstand, and saw she had a missed call from Jesse. She immediately returned his call.

"Hi Becs, good morning."

"Hi, Jess. Sorry I didn't answer before, I was sleeping and didn't hear my phone."

"I figured."

Suddenly, she remembered she was supposed to call Jesse the previous day to go to the movies.

"I'm sorry I forgot to call you yesterday. I had so much to do it slipped my mind."

"It's okay, don't worry," he reassured her. "Listen, what about we spend the day together? We go to IHOP, and watch a movie, and walk around the mall, maybe some ice-cream—"

"I'd love to, Jess, but I'm afraid I can't," she said, with sorrow. "Chloe wants us to rehearse all day and I have to do the arrangements."

"Oh. That sucks."

"But what about we go for dinner tomorrow? We could watch the game at that bar you like."

"We have a gig tomorrow night, I'm sorry."

"A gig? Where?"

"I don't know yet, but I think it's some sort of private party."

She sighed.

"I wonder when we will have a gig again."

"Don't lose hope, Becs. The Bellas will be back on track sooner than you expect."

"I hope so. For the girls' sake _and_ my own."

"I gotta go, but I'll see you on Monday for lunch, okay?"

"Yeah. Have fun at your gig."

"Thanks. I'll call you to give you all the dirty details."

"Please. I feed on them."

"I love you. Bye."

* * *

That night, Beca was feeling more satisfied than she had felt in a long time. As she returned home from work, she thought about how much she had achieved during the day. Her boss had finally acknowledged her existence, he had agreed with her idea of transforming Snoop Dogg's boring, unoriginal version of 'Winter Wonderland' into a mashup with 'Here Comes Santa Claus', and had even asked her to show him some of her demos! If everything went out fine, this could definitely help her launch her career. She was young, yes, and it was a competitive business, but she had to start somewhere, and having a talented, world-renowned music producer listening to _her_ job put her one step ahead than most aspiring music producers in the country.

She was thinking in all this when she arrived at the Bella house. When she walked by their mailbox, she noticed there was an envelope on the inside. She took it, and saw 'The Barden Bellas' was marked as the addressee. It seemed as some sort of invitation. She kept it in her purse and headed to the house, but stopped for a brief second before going inside. From what she could see from the yard, the Bellas were having a pillow fight. She entered the house, and the first thing she saw were the feathers floating around in the living room. She couldn't help but smile at the scene. Although she hated pillow fights, the girls seemed happy and relaxed, and as if they were having the time of their lives. They deserved it, after the difficult weeks they had gone through.

"What am I looking at?" She asked, as the fight continued.

"We're pillow fighting!" Fat Amy said, and whacked her with a pillow.

"Ouch!" She exclaimed. "You know this sets back women like, thirty years."

"We're just relieving some stress!" Chloe said, as she jumped up and down in one of the couches.

"This was on the porch," Beca said, as she held up the envelope.

"Oh! What is that? It looks fancy," Chloe grabbed the invitation from Beca. She opened it, and the card made a weird sound, as if it were match pitching. "Looks like we've been invited to sing at some kind of party," She read.

"We're going to sing? Finally!" Emily exclaimed.

"Well, there's just an address and a password."

"How sexy and mysterious!"

"Like how all my teeth are from other people," Lily said, in a whisper.

* * *

 _ **Next day...**_

The Bellas hadn't been the only group invited the party, which turned out to be a very special riff-off organized by the National a Cappella Laser Ninja Dragon League. The Tone Hangers, the Green Bay Packers, and the Treblemakers were all there. And, to the girls' annoyance, Das Sound Machine had also been invited. Jesse was surprised to see her, and could notice she was surprised as well, but they were unable to talk until after the riff-off was over.

He looked for her in the crowd, and found her speaking with Chloe and Emily. The Bellas had suffered a very painful defeat against DSM and it had partially been Emily's fault, although he knew Beca would be incapable of blaming her. However, he couldn't say the same thing about Chloe. The redhead seemed angry and, from what Jesse could hear, she was scolding Emily.

"You shouldn't have done that, Emily. Now, DSM thinks that they have the drop on us!"

"I'm sorry, I panicked," Emily said, with real anguish in her voice. "I understand if you want me to crawl under a rock and die."

"Hey, we don't want that," Beca reassured her, and pointed a finger at her best friend. "We _don't_ want that."

Chloe shook her head with disappointment. In that moment, Jesse walked up and gently grabbed Beca by the arm.

"Becs, let's go meet the Green Bay Packers," he said, trying to deviate her attention from the defeat they had suffered.

"Okay!" She said, excited at the thought of meeting the famous players.

After meeting the Packers, they both went to the bar for a drink. Beca asked for a Vodka Gimlet, and Jesse for a beer. They sat as far away as they could from the party that was beginning to take shape, as they both wanted some privacy.

"So, this was the gig you talked about yesterday."

He nodded. "Although I didn't know it was a riff-off, I thought it was a simple party. If I had known, I would have told you."

"I don't care. The only thing that matters is that you are here," she said, and she took a sip from her drink.

"I'm sorry about what happened with Emily."

"Yeah. You know, she's just a kid, she got scared. It can happen to any of us."

Jesse knew she meant what she said. Beca had always been very comprehensive with her girls, and she never blamed them for their mistakes.

"Chloe seemed pretty pissed."

"She has become too competitive, she _needs_ to chill. It's just a riff-off, for God's sake."

"Right."

They finished off their drinks, and looked over at the people dancing and singing over the dance floor.

"Hey, do you wanna get out of here? I'm not particularly in the mood to party."

He looked at her. She seemed exhausted from working all week.

"Sure. Do you wanna have dinner or go to my place to watch a movie?"

"I'd rather go home, I have to work tomorrow."

"But you have worked all week."

"It sucks, I know. Hopefully, it won't always be like this."

"Very well, then. I'll take you home," he said, trying his best not to show up his annoyance. However, Beca knew him too well to notice when something was bothering him.

"I know what you are thinking. That in the two weeks that have passed since I got the job we hadn't spent time with each other. That bothers me, too. But don't be mad, Jess. Winter break is coming, so we are gonna have a lot of time to spend together. I promise."

Jesse was surprised Beca had read his mind so well. Her communication skills had significantly improved in the three years he had of knowing her.

"I'm just concerned that you are putting too much pressure on yourself, Becs. You have school, you have your job, you have the Worlds—"

"I know, I know, but I will find a way to balance all this."

"You could start by telling the girls about _Residual Heat_. That way, maybe they could release you from some of your duties as a Bella."

"I _will_ tell them, okay? Just, not now. You saw them, they are a mess. They need time to recover from this."

"Okay. You know them better than I do," he finished off his beer. "Come on, I'll take you home."

* * *

 _ **A month and a half later…**_

 **October, 2014**

As promised, Beca gave her boss some of her demos for him to listen. However, almost two whole months had gone by and he still hadn't made a single comment about them. Every time he and Beca crossed paths, he was either in a hurry or speaking in his phone or dealing with some high-class artist in his office. Beca was getting impatient, and although she knew he was a busy man, she wondered how much time did he need to listen to a few demos and give her feedback.

While she waited for Sammy's verdict, Beca decided to try and learn as much as she could at _Residual Heat_ , mostly by playing close attention to everything her boss or other music producers said, researching about new techniques and perfecting her skills every day after work. After all, that's why she had applied for the position in the first place: to learn.

However, her decision of focusing in her internship had its side effects: Chloe had booked a gig for the Bellas for the first week of January, and although that was still a couple of months away, they needed to rehearse and set everything up. Unfortunately, she had no inspiration for the arrangements, and she really needed to come up with something soon. There was also school, and the fact that she had missed the Hybrid Recording and Mixing class three times in one week. Her teacher was nice, but strict; if she missed one more, she would be at risk of failing the course. Beca was not a model student, but she had never failed a class before, and she didn't want this to be the first.

And then, there was the Jesse issue. She hadn't seen him in over three weeks, and although they talked almost every day, it wasn't the same. She was so busy she didn't have time to go to the movies with him or for drinks, and whenever she had some free time to spend with him he had a class or a gig with the boys, and she feared their relationship was getting strained. The worst part was that Christmas break was more than a month, and Beca was counting down the days. The only thing she wanted in that moment was to spend some quality time Jesse, and a break from her job and the Bellas.

* * *

Although it was Halloween, Jesse's favorite holiday, he had other things in mind that prevented him from enjoying the day. For starters, he still hadn't told Beca about his move to LA, and the fact that he was hiding such important news from her was making him anxious. He had tried to talk to her on several occasions, but she was always busy or on her way to work. He was aware her career had become her priority. Beca had ambitions, and she had already waited too long to pursue them. He understood her perfectly, although he couldn't help feeling sad because, for better or for worse, their relationship was changing.

"Jesse, are you okay?" Benji asked him, as they cleaned the pool.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Seriously? Because you seem a little off."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I've been talking to you for ten minutes and you haven't said anything yet. I bet you weren't even listening."

"I'm sorry, Benji. I just have a lot of things in my mind right now."

"Problems with Beca?"

"How do you know?"

"I'm pretty observant," Benji said, proudly. "Although I guessed you were having problems because I haven't seen her around here lately."

"I wouldn't say we are having 'problems'. I… I don't even know what's happening with us. It's complicated."

"Why? What's wrong?"

Jesse looked at his best friend. Benji was such a nice guy, sweet and considerate, and he was smarter than most people gave him credit for. If there was someone who could help him with his situation, it was him.

"I need to tell you something I haven't told anybody. Not even Beca."

"I thought you guys didn't have any secrets."

"I do now. I've been keeping this from her for nearly three months, and it's killing me. I _need_ to tell her, but I don't know how."

"What is it?"

"I got accepted into USC's Film School. I'm set to start in January."

Benji looked at him with his eyes wide open.

"Oh my God. Congratulations, man, that's fantastic!" He said, and patted him in the back. Jesse forced a smile.

"I'm afraid I'm not as happy as I thought I would be."

"Well, it's your dream, isn't it? Going to Film School, becoming a famous composer."

"Unfortunately, these are not the best circumstances."

"Why? And what does Beca have to do with this? She doesn't want you to go or—" In that moment, it all became clear for Benji. "Oh, she _doesn't_ know you are leaving. That's what you are hiding from her!"

Jesse looked down, ashamed.

"Yeah."

"But why? Why haven't you told her?"

"I've been waiting for the right time, but things haven't been the same between us for a while. She's been so busy with the Worlds and her jo… classes," he stopped himself before revealing Beca's secret. "This is a delicate matter, I don't wanna make things worse than they already are."

Benji shook his head.

"Jesse, you _have_ to tell her. She is your girlfriend, this is the kind of stuff you _must_ share with her. I mean, you know Beca better than I do, but I'm pretty sure she won't be happy when she finds out you've been hiding this from her."

"You think I don't know that?" Jesse snapped at Benji. "This is _my_ relationship we are talking about. I don't wanna loose her, that's why I'm so afraid of telling her!"

"You are right, it's _your_ relationship. But the longer you wait, the harder it will be for you to tell her."

Jesse didn't say anything. Instead, he sighed and covered his face with his hands.

"I promised I would never hurt her," he said, after a while. "When we first started dating. I don't think she will ever forgive me for lying to her."

"I'm sure that you said that wholeheartedly, but life takes many turns."

"Yeah, but that doesn't change the fact that I failed her. She will never forgive me."

Benji leaned forward on his seat.

"Look, man; I'm happy for you. I really am. But you _need_ to tell Beca as soon as possible. Otherwise, she's gonna keep thinking everything's fine between you two, when it clearly isn't. Listen to me, you can't keep this from her anymore."

"I know. I promise I will tell her."

Jesse tried to tell Beca the truth during the girls' Halloween party. However, he completely forgot it was tradition that the leader would act as main host, and Beca spent most of the night receiving the guests and organizing the costume contest. Every time they were alone, one of the Bellas appeared out of nowhere and took her away, much to his dismay. He waited for her all night, but he never found the right time to tell her the important news.

* * *

 ** _A few days later…_**

 **November,** **2014**

 _So little to say but so much time_

 _Despite my empty mouth_

 _The words are in my mind_

 _Please wear the face_

 _The one where you smile_

 _Because it'll lighten up my heart_

 _When I start to cry_

 _Forgive me first love_

 _But I'm tired_

 _I need to get away_

 _To feel again_

 _Try to understand why_

 _Don't get so close to change my mind_

 _Please wipe that look out of your eyes_

 _It's bribing me to doubt myself_

 _Simply it's time..._

That morning, Beca was awaken by Fat Amy's loud snores. She was surprised to see her friend was sleeping, because she was supposed to be in class. Beca looked at her phone and understood the reason why Fat Amy was still in bed although it was a Thursday. It turns out it was a Friday, which meant _she_ was the one skipping school.

She slapped her forehead.

 _Shit, my class!_

She was supposed to be in Hybrid Recording and Mixing class. It was the fourth time in the semester she skipped it; one more strike and she would fail the curse, which she couldn't allow to happen.

In that moment, her phone started ringing. It was Jesse, so she answered right away.

"Hi Jess, good morning."

"Hi, Becs. Are you busy?"

"No, not at all. What's up?"

"Do you think you can come over, please? I need to talk to you."

"Sure. When?"

"As soon as possible. Well, after your class is finished, of course."

"I can go right now, I have the time."

"You are not in class?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"I overslept."

"That's odd. Did you stay up late last night?"

"Yeah, I was working on some stupid arrangements. Whatever."

"You shouldn't push yourself too much, Beca."

"I know, but I had to work during the weekend and I had no time to do it before."

"You worked during the weekend?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"We haven't talked since the Halloween party. That was one week ago."

"Oh," it was true. "Anyway, if you are not busy right now, I can be in the house in five minutes."

"Okay. I'll be waiting for you."

She quickly changed her clothes and crossed the yard that separated both houses. She knocked three times on the door, and Jesse opened it almost immediately. Apparently, there was nobody else home.

"Hey," she said, after she gave him a quick kiss. "Are you alone?" She asked, just to corroborate.

"I am. I asked the guys to give us some privacy. I don't want anybody to interrupt us."

"How mysterious!" She joked, but there was something about Jesse's expression that wiped the smile off her face. He seemed serious and, to some extent, concerned. She had never seen him like that. "Is something wrong? You seem… worried."

* * *

He began rubbing his hands together, something he always did when he was nervous. He knew the sooner he dropped the bomb, the better.

"I have some important news that I need to share with you."

"They don't seem good from the look on your face."

"They _are_ good, I think. I hope," he took a deep breath. "I got accepted into USC's Film School."

She looked at him, astonished.

"What?"

"I got accepted into USC's Film School," he slowly repeated. "I'm going to study music to become a composer."

"USC? As in University of Southern California?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, wow," she said, clearly in shock. "I— I was _not_ expecting that. You didn't tell me you sent your application. When did you?"

"Over the summer. I didn't tell you because I applied for a scholarship, and I thought they wouldn't accept me. But they did."

"Um… okay. Congratulations, I guess," she said, although Jesse knew she didn't mean it. There was an awkward silence. "So, what happens now?" He didn't answer. "Will you drop out of Barden?"

"Well, not exactly; I will graduate early."

"When will you… leave?"

"In three weeks, after the semester's done."

Beca's face turned white. She slumped onto the sofa and covered her face with her hands. Jesse looked at her, mortified.

"Becs, I'm so sorry," he said, as he sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but he couldn't find the right words. "But this is something I _must_ do. Please, try to understand me. I must follow my passion, and I won't be able to do it if I stay here."

She slowly took her hands off her face, and Jesse noticed she hadn't shed a single tear. She seemed sad and terribly disappointed at the same time.

"Please don't look at me like that," he begged her. Beca's stare was so intense he feared she would make him change his mind. "Please, I'm begging you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, but I didn't want to worry you. It was never my intention to cause you pain."

"When did you find out you had been accepted?" She asked him, coldly. He felt his heart crumble into a million pieces.

 _There it is. The question I was so afraid to answer._

"Three months ago."

In that moment, any trace of sadness and disappointment disappeared from Beca's blue eyes. It was replaced by another feeling, much stronger and intense.

Anger.


	9. Take it all

**A/N: Hi! So, this is a very special chapter for me for two reasons: A) 'Take It All' is my favorite Adele song, although it's not one of the famous ones, and B) I got the idea for this fic thanks to this song. I was listening to it one day and I thought of Beca and Jesse, and that's how I imagined their story being told with Adele's songs. It's a short chapter (compared to the previous ones), but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Thank you for your lovely comments, you motivate me to write even when I'm buried in homework :) As always R &R. Enjoy! **

* * *

_Didn't I give it all? I tried my best_  
 _Gave you everything I have, everything and no less_  
 _Didn't I do it right? Did I let you down?_  
 _Maybe you got too used to, well having me around_  
 _Still how can you walk away? From all my tears_  
 _Its gonna be an empty road, without me right here_

 _But go on and take it_  
 _Take it all with you_  
 _Don't look back_  
 _At this crumbling fool_  
 _Just take it all with my love_  
 _Take it all with my love_

 _Maybe I should leave, to help you see_  
 _Nothing gets better than this_  
 _And this is everything we need_  
 _So is it over? Is this really it?_  
 _You're giving up so easily_  
 _I though you loved me more that this_

 _But go on and take it_  
 _Take it all with you_  
 _Don't look back_  
 _At this crumbling fool_  
 _Just take it all with my love_  
 _Take it all with my love..._

"So, let me get this straight," Beca said, clearly trying to calm herself down. "You've been hiding this from me for three months? You've been _lying_ to my face since I came back from DC?"

"Beca—"

"Just answer the question, Jesse."

"I… yes."

She shook her head, and an angry smile appeared on her face. She wasn't holding back her anger anymore.

"Just out of curiosity, for how long were you planning to keep this a secret?"

"I never meant to—"

"A few days?" she interrupted him. She clearly had no intention of letting him talk. "Months? Or was I supposed to wake up one day and find out you had moved to the other side of the country without telling me?"

"Beca, please let me explain—"

"I think it's a little late for that," she stood up from the sofa. "But on the other hand, I can't wait to hear what excuse you have prepared. Go on, I'm waiting," she said, and crossed her arms.

"Like I said before, I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you."

"And you thought hiding this from me was the best idea?"

"I never meant to do that, and you can't imagine how sorry I am, but you've been so busy with the Worlds and your job that—"

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault? For the first time in my life I'm doing something I enjoy, something that doesn't involve freaking a cappella or ass-kissing teachers or pretending to be something I'm not!"

"I never said it was your fault," he said. The conversation had quickly heated up.

"Besides, you and I had plans, we were supposed to move to LA _together_. If you had told me before, I would have made arrangements to graduate early and go with you."

"That would've required you to leave the girls, and I'd never ask you to do that."

"The Bellas are a temporary thing! I'm not gonna be a Bella forever and I don't want to, alright? I'm not Chloe."

"But you love them, they are your girls. I couldn't make you choose, I couldn't ask you to leave them when they needed you the most. It would have been selfish of me. Selfish _and_ unfair."

"We would've figured something out, because that's what couples do. They solve problems _together_."

Jesse looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry! You are only making it worse," Beca snapped at him. Tears were beginning to blur her vision. "You don't hurt the people you love, you said it yourself. You promised you would _never_ hurt me. I can't believe I was stupid enough to believe you. I mean, what did I do wrong? I gave you _everything_. I did things I never thought I would to make this relationship work. But you… you are giving up so easily, it's like you don't even care. Why? Did you get bored? Wasn't I good enough for you?"

"No, Beca. As a matter of fact, I still can't understand how a woman like you fell for a man like me," Jesse said, in a weak tone. "You are smart, and funny, and so amazingly talented. You take care of your friends, you worry about their problems and you always figure out a way to help them. You are the most amazing person I've ever met."

Beca wasn't willing to let Jesse's words get to her. Not now.

"I think it's too late for compliments, Jess, the damage's already done," her initial fury had given way to profound disappointment and hopelessness. "Look, I won't stop you from pursuing your dream. If you wanna leave, then do it. But it you do it, _don't_ look back. Forget I ever existed, and don't try to pretend we are still a couple. Take everything with you; every memory, every word you ever said. _Everything_."

He didn't say anything. For a few seconds they just stayed still, staring at each other and trying to process every word that had been said.

Then, Jesse said something Beca never thought he would.

"I wish you hadn't kissed me that night at Lincoln Center."

Tears were in his eyes, but he was clearly trying to fight them back. She could feel them in hers, too, and her lower lip trembled as she spoke.

"Me too. It would have saved me lots of suffering."

After she said this, she walked to the door. She didn't want to talk to Jesse anymore. She feared she would burst into tears if she stayed any longer.

"This doesn't have to be the end, Beca," he told her, before she left the house. "We can find a way to fix this. We can save what we have here."

She stopped, and turned to face him.

"The thing is, I don't know if I wanna be with someone who lies to me."

And she closed the door behind her.


	10. All I ask

**A/N: Hey! Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it, 'All I Ask' is one of my favourite songs from Adele. Please R &R. Enjoy :)**

* * *

 ** _One month later…_**

 **December** **, 2014**

Chloe knew there were many types of drunks: the happy, the sad, the reckless and the philosophical were the four basics, with other subtypes such as the maniac, the horny, the sloppy, and the aggressive. Chloe herself had been told she was a happy drunk; whenever she had too much to drink she became very talkative, laughed at everything and everyone, danced on top of tables, and smiled like an idiot the whole time. Although most of the times her friends had to take care of her when she was drunk, there were times Chloe had to look out for them instead. However, there was one type of drunk she couldn't tolerate: the over-emotional one. To Chloe's dismay, Beca fell in that category.

It was rare of Beca to get drunk, as she wasn't particularly keen on alcohol. In fact, Chloe had only seen her in such state three times, and it hadn't been that bad because Jesse had taken care of her on those occasions. Unfortunately for Chloe, that was no longer the case. Four weeks had gone by since their big fight, and they hadn't talked to each other ever since. Jesse was set to leave for LA the next day, and instead of solving her differences with him before his departure, Beca thought it would be a better option to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

"The fact that he is leaving is not what bothers me, it's _how_ he is leaving. I mean, _he_ gave up on _us_ , that's what's pissing me off. You understand what I'm saying?"

"I do, Beca. You've said it four times already."

"Have I?" Beca said, and took another sip of her glass of vodka. "Damn, it's empty already! How can it be?"

"I guess that happens when you take an average of three sips per minute."

"Hey, Barry, pour me another one!" Beca yelled. Barry was the bartender, and an old friend of Chloe.

"Here you go, Beca," he said, as he refilled her glass. Then, he turned to Chloe. "Long night, huh?"

"The worst."

"Sure you don't want a drink?"

"I can't, I have to take care of her; make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," she sighed. "Not that I don't need it—"

"Anyway," Beca said, after taking another sip of her drink, "I don't mind. I'm _completely_ okay with Jesse leaving."

"Really?" Chloe tried not to sound too sarcastic.

"Yeah! You don't believe me?"

"I do," she said, although she was aware Beca was lying. She knew it wouldn't be long until she revealed her true feelings.

"Ugh, who am I kidding?" Beca said, as she slammed the table with both hands. "Of course I'm not okay!"

 _Here we go._

"You are not?"

"No! He is _leaving_. What am I supposed to do now?" She took another sip. "You know what? I should have gone to LA when I had the chance," she said, with sorrow. "He was one of the reasons I decided to stay. Him and you girls. But now I realize I made a terrible mistake."

Look, Beca," Chloe said, slightly irritated. "You are acting like this because you have never been dumped before. But trust me, you will get over this."

"How do you know?"

"Because I've been there before, multiple times. You cry a little, you get angry, you go for a drink or two with your girlfriends, you flirt with a stranger, and eventually you get over it."

"No, no, no," Beca shook her head. "You don't understand, Chloe. We are not talking about one of your casual boyfriends, we are talking about Jesse, the love of my life."

 _Oh, God, she's entering the 'love of my life' phase._

"You know there was a time when I thought I would spend rest of my life with him? Of course, I never thought he would betray me the way he did. He is an asshole," she made a pause to take another sip. "And you wanna know the worst part? I love him. I love him more than anything in the world. He is _everything_ to me. Man, I'm so stupid. I let myself fall for him, and now I have nothing."

"But technically you didn't officially break up, did you?"

"We might as well have. I will never see him again, so that pretty much seals the deal."

"Wait, you won't say goodbye?" Chloe asked, confused. Beca nodded. "Why?"

"I'm too angry. I don't wanna talk to him," she motioned to Barry as she raised her glass. "Another one, please."

Chloe covered Beca's glass with her hand.

"Okay, no more vodka for you; I think you've had enough."

"What are you, my dad?"

"No, I'm the person in whose car you will vomit unless you stop drinking," she said, and gestured at Barry to leave. "Beca, you _have_ to say goodbye to Jesse."

"Why?"

"I don't know, maybe because it's highly probable you won't see him again in a long time, maybe ever? Yes, I get he is an asshole, but you said it yourself: he is the love of your life. You two fighting and screaming at each other? You do _not_ want that to be your last memory of him. Do you really want your relationship to end like this? With you getting drunk in a bar, bitching about him with your super senior friend? Come on, Beca, your relationship deserves better than that."

"Maybe, but what if I don't know what to say? You know I'm not got at this kind of stuff."

"You'll find the right words, you always do."

Beca stood still, weighing her friend's words.

"You're right, I have to talk to him."

"Of course I am."

"As a matter of fact, I'm gonna talk to him right now," she said, and she got to her feet.

"Whoa!" Chloe exclaimed, alarmed. "Where do you think you are going?"

"I'm gonna talk to Jesse."

"No, you are not. You can't talk to anyone in this state."

"I'm not that drunk, Chloe. Well, maybe a little," she shook her head. "Anyway, if I'm gonna do it, I have to do it _now_ ; he leaves tomorrow morning."

"Beca, I don't think this is a good idea. You are not thinking clearly, you could do something stupid."

"Maybe, but I have nothing to lose," she said, and walked away.

"Wait, I'm your ride! You can't walk the streets alone!"

"It's only three blocks, I'll take a cab!"

"Beca, wait!" But it was too late, she had left the bar. Chloe ran her hands through her hair.

 _Oh, boy. I hope she gets home safe and sound_.

* * *

 _I will leave my heart at the door_  
 _I won't say a word_  
 _They've all been said before you know_  
 _So why don't we just play pretend_  
 _Like we're not scared of what is coming next_  
 _Or scared of having nothing left_

 _Look don't get me wrong I know_  
 _There is no tomorrow_  
 _All I ask_

 _Is if this is my last night with you_  
 _Hold me like I'm more than just a friend_  
 _Give me a memory I can use_  
 _Take me by the hand while we do_  
 _What lovers do_  
 _It matters how this ends_  
 _Cause what if I never love again_

 _I don't need your honesty_  
 _It's already in your eyes_  
 _And I'm sure my eyes they speak for me_  
 _No one knows me like you do_  
 _And since you're the only one that mattered_  
 _Tell me who do I run to..._

Although she was drunken than she had ever been in her life, Beca managed to walk out of the bar and to the street and took a cab, which left her right in front of the Treble house. She headed to the door and knocked, with insistence. After a few seconds, Benji opened it.

"Hi Beca, what's up?"

"I need to talk to Jesse," she said, in a hurry. "Is he home?"

"Yeah, he is packing the last of his stuff."

Without saying another word, Beca walked right pass Benji and onto the stairs to Jesse's room. This time she entered without knocking, and ran into Jesse packing some shirts and ties into a blue suitcase.

"Beca! You startled me," he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," she was feeling agitated and out of breath from running up the stairs.

"What are you doing here? Is something the matter?"

"No—I mean, yes," she scratched her head. "Not exactly. I'm sorry, I'm feeling a little dizzy and confused right now."

Jesse sniffed the air.

"Becs, have you been drinking?"

"A little."

He gaped at her.

"You don't drink."

"I was feeling sad and Chloe took me out for drinks. I'm afraid I had too many vodkas, my head is spinning like crazy."

She was talking too fast, and wondered if Jesse was understanding her.

"Why don't you sit?" He pulled a chair from his desk, but Beca shook her head.

"No, thanks."

"Okay. So, can you please tell me what is it?"

"You have a minute? It's just there are a couple of things I have to get out of my chest before," she gulped, "before you go."

"I always have time for you," he said, and looked at her with those puppy eyes she had come to love.

Beca took a deep breath.

"I don't want you to go because I don't know what I'm gonna do without you," she sighed. "No one knows me like you do. You know my weaknesses, my strengths. You know when I'm feeling sad or angry or happy. I don't have that kind of connection with anybody else. I'm scared, Jesse. I'm scared to hell of what's coming next, because I don't know what's going to happen with us. Now, I know I can't stop you from leaving. However, I don't want the fight we had a month ago to be my last memory of you. The truth is I have no idea if our relationship is gonna make it, but I think it's important we end this in good terms in case something happens and we never see each other again."

She felt the sudden need to cry. However, she contained herself.

"That won't happen, this doesn't have to be the—"

"No, no, no," she interrupted him. "Please, I don't want us to argue; not now. What I want you to do is to hold me like you have never held me before. That's all I want right now, as a goodbye."

Jesse didn't say anything. She knew her request was corny and stupid, but in her defense, it was the alcohol speaking in her behalf. He slowly approached her and, when he was just a couple of inches away from her, he embraced her with such love Beca thought she was going to faint. He buried his face in her hair, so much she could feel him breathing against her neck.

"I'll miss you so much," he whispered in her ear. "So, so much."

She closed her eyes as she felt her heart racing, and once again the alcohol took control of her actions.

She put her hand in Jesse's neck and gently turned his face to her, and kissed him tenderly. He immediately kissed her back and put his hands on her waist. She quickly got carried away by the intensity of the kiss, and soon found herself incapable of pulling away.

* * *

"We are gonna make it. This is just a test, but we'll be fine; you'll see."

Although he was only a few inches away from her, his voice sounded a thousand miles away. Beca tried to open her eyes, but failed miserably. Her eyelids felt too heavy.

"Take care of yourself, weirdo."

He caressed her cheek and kissed her on the forehead. She heard him leaving the room before falling back asleep.

* * *

 **A/N: Can you guess where the story is headed? Which song is next?**


	11. Lovesong

**A/N: Hello! Again, I'm sorry I abandoned you for so long, but as you are about to realize this chapter is ridiculously long and it took me longer to write than I thought (even if I already had it all planned). I really hope you enjoy it, it's nine months in the making. We are almost done with the first half of the story!**

* * *

 ** _Three months later…_**

 ** _March 2_** ** _nd_** ** _, 2015_**

It was like every other morning at _Residual Heat_ 's headquarters. Beca, as usual, was at the coffee station unpacking some burritos and sodas from a bag. In that moment, Sammy entered the room and opened the fridge.

"Dax," he muttered, frustrated. "I swear, if that kid wasn't my nephew—"

Beca knew he was busy and that it was probably not a good time, but she couldn't wait for Sammy's answer anymore.

"Hey, um," she said, as he was about to leave. "I know you are crazy busy, but have you had a chance to check out those demos?"

"Yeah, yeah I did."

He said nothing else. Beca's hands began to sweat.

"This dead air between us is a good sign." She forced a smile. However, his face remained impassive.

"Look, you have a great ear. You proved that in the booth. I was super excited to hear what else you had, but what you gave me was more mash ups."

"That's sort of what I do," she said, trying not to sound too defensive.

"Listen, Reggie —is it Reggie?"

"Beca," she corrected him. "That happens lot though. You'd be surprised."

"Here's the thing: _any_ kid with ears and a laptop can do that. _Dax_ can do that, alright? So, that's fine if you want a career deejaying raves out in the desert, but if you want to write 'music producer' on your tax forms someday, then you've got to have an original voice, you understand? You gotta show me what you have. Right now, what I have is a demo with mashups on it."

Beca's hopes began to crumble. However, she did her best not to show.

"Yeah, yeah, I have lots of stuff to say," she tried to sound as confident as she could. "I'm just, like, saving it all up."

"So you are an intern, everybody else in here is an intern. You are talented, everyone else in here is talented. So what the hell makes you special? You know what I mean?" She nodded. "That's good. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna give you one more shot to show me who you are as an artist, okay? Do _not_ waste it."

"No sir, I will not waste it."

"I really hope you don't for your sake, because I'd hate to think that singing covers in an a Cappella group is all you can do."

He walked away, leaving Beca completely dejected.

* * *

Beca came home feeling as if a tractor had run over her. She went straight to her bedroom and climbed into bed, and immediately turned on her laptop. She was determined to come up with a fascinating project for Sammy to listen, but as soon as she opened her music app she heard someone climbing up the stairs.

 _Damn it, I forgot to lock the door_.

She caught a glimpse of red hair, immediately followed by Chloe's jovial voice.

"Hi Beca. You are home early."

"My class got cancelled."

She was telling the truth, although she still hadn't told her friend about her internship.

"Mine too. Apparently, the teacher has the Flu or something." Chloe sat on the edge of Beca's bed. "What are you doing?"

"I'm… I'm working on the set."

"Oh, cool! That gig is the perfect practice for the Worlds. We can't mess this up, Beca. There's too much at stake."

"Yeah, I'm aware of that. But thank you for reminding me."

Beca wasn't in the mood to talk to her friend but she tried not to sound too cranky. However, unfortunately for her, Chloe was very perceptive.

"Is something wrong, Beca? You seem a bit angry."

"I'm okay, it's just I have a lot in my mind right now."

"Is this about Jesse? Are you still upset because he left?"

"No, I'm not."

"Because it'd be completely normal if you are. It's only been three weeks."

"Chlo, I don't mean to be rude, but I really don't wanna talk about it."

"I'm just saying I understand what you are going through," Chloe said, as she put her hand on Beca's shoulders. "I know exactly how you feel."

Beca rolled her eyes. There was nothing that bothered her more than people pretending to know how she felt.

"I don't think so."

"Yes, I do."

"No, you _don't_. And the fact that you think you do bothers me just a little."

"Well, I guess I would know if you told me."

"Well, I'm not sure I want to," Beca said, this time much more defensive.

"Why? Why don't you wanna tell me what's going on?"

"Because there's nothing going on!" Beca snapped. "Look, Jesse is gone. I'll probably never gonna see him again. It sucks, yeah, but those are the facts, and there's nothing I can do about it. He is in LA and I'm stuck here, and that's all there is to it. _Period_. Happy now?"

She was breathing heavily.

"I'm just trying to help, Beca," Chloe said, hurt. "I'm your friend and I care about you."

"If you really wanna help, leave me alone," Chloe looked at her with surprise. "I'm serious. Please, go."

Chloe stood up and walked to the door.

"It was never my intention to make you angry," she said before leaving the room. "I'm sorry."

As soon as Chloe closed the door behind her, Beca felt extremely guilty for yelling at her friend. After all, Chloe only wanted to make sure she was okay. However, it was too late to apologize.

Besides, apologizing had never been her strong suit.

* * *

 _Whenever I'm alone with you_

 _You make me feel like I am home again_

 _Whenever I'm alone with you_

 _You make me feel like I am whole again…_

Beca was getting extremely frustrated. She had been working on her project for almost twelve hours and she still didn't have anything. She just kept hitting middle C on her piano app in a desperate attempt to come up with something valuable, without success. Her inspiration had vanished at the worst possible moment, and she didn't know what to do to recover it. She felt overcomed by the sense of hopelessness and closed her laptop, and picked her phone to call Jesse. She knew it was weak of her to call him, especially since she was still upset at him for leaving, but she was desperate to talk to him. The whole situation was overwhelming, and she needed to talk to someone who knew her and understood what was bothering her.

Unfortunately for Beca, the call went straight to voice mail.

"Hey, it's Jesse. Text me."

Beca quickly remembered it was two in the morning in Los Angeles, not the most appropriate time to call someone. Still it was nice to hear his voice, even if it was a simple recording. She thought about hanging up, but she decided to leave a message instead.

"Hey, it's me. You probably won't be able to hear this message because, as it turns out, I have nothing to say. That's music industry speak for 'I suck'," a nervous smile appeared on her face. "You are definitely sleeping right now, that's cool," she made a small pause, thinking in what else to add. "Text me when you are up."

She ended the call just as Fat Amy climbed up the stairs.

* * *

The next day, Beca woke up at noon. She was still cranky from the previous night, but she wasn't surprised. Lately, she was only either cranky or exhausted.

She grabbed her phone from her nightstand and was disappointed to see Jesse hadn't returned her call. Perhaps he didn't know what to say or how to act –or worse, he didn't care. She left her phone on her bed and took a quick shower. She was starving, so instead of putting herself to work she went to the dining hall. When she returned to her room, she saw she had a new voicemail from Jesse.

"Hey Beca, is everything okay? I just heard your message and I got worried. I guess you are the one sleeping now. Anyway, please call me."

At first, Beca had doubts about calling him. She was vulnerable and in a difficult place, and perhaps calling her ex-boyfriend ( _or was he still her boyfriend?_ ) was probably not a good idea. Still, she dialed Jesse's number and waited for him to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Becs, hi. Listen, I'm sorry I didn't answer your call last night, but I was sleeping."

"Don't apologize, I shouldn't have called you. It's not appropriate to call someone at two in the morning."

"Yeah, but you are not just 'someone'. You sounded upset on your message. What's wrong?"

"I had a small problem at work. It was nothing."

"Come on, Beca, you don't have to pretend with me; I'm not your dad. Tell me what happened."

It was true that, with Jesse, she didn't need to lie, but that was when they were a couple. Things between them were different now, and Beca didn't want to seem vulnerable. However, she desperately needed someone to talk to, someone who understood her and wouldn't judge her.

"You remember I gave Sammy some of my demos for him to listen?"

"Yeah."

"It took him almost six months, but he did check them out."

"And what did he say?"

"Well, he practically told me I don't have enough talent to be a music producer."

"What?"

"His exact words where: 'if you want to write 'music producer' on your tax forms someday, then you've got to have an original voice'. Then he asked me what the hell made me especial as an artist, and he said he would give me another chance and that I shouldn't waste it."

As she repeated Sammy's words, Beca realized how much they had hurt her.

"I see."

"I wasn't able to say anything to him, I just stood there like an idiot. I don't know what to do now, Jess. My future is hanging off the cliff, and what if my career is over before it even begins? I feel like I've hit rock bottom."

"Look, Becs, it's Sammy's job to discourage you. He is your boss, he is supposed to pressure you and to push you off your limits. I know he is a big shot in the industry and that he has a lot of experience, but this time he made a mistake. I have heard your work, and it is amazing. You are the most talented person I know; you are ambitious, hardworking and you never give up. You accept your mistakes and you learn from them, that's what makes you valuable as an artist. An artist that doesn't accept its flaws is destined to fail. But _you_ do, and that's the only thing that matters. That's _your_ voice. If he's not able to appreciate that, then the little prick doesn't deserve your talent."

Beca was surprised to notice Jesse could still calm her and make her feel better even when he was 1000 miles away.

"What if I screw it up again? What if he doesn't like what I have to say?"

"In that case, as I said, you must find someone who does. Someone who values your voice."

Beca closed her eyes and, for an instant, she allowed Jesse's voice to warm her heart. A heart that had been under a lot of stress, a heart that had been damaged and broken multiple times, a heart that wasn't used to have a saying in Beca's actions. A heart that had learned to be happy at Jesse's side.

"I miss you," she said, as she opened her eyes.

"I miss you, too. And I love you, don't ever forget that."

Beca loved him too, but for some reason she was unable to say it.

"Will you come see us in Copenhagen?" She said instead.

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm sure you are gonna kick DSM's ass."

"We have a gig in a couple of weeks. Chloe says it will serve as preparation for the Worlds."

"I'm sure it will go great."

* * *

Turns out, Jesse was wrong about the girls' gig going great. As a matter of fact, Beca doubted things could get worse. The Bellas had officially hit rock bottom and their chances of winning the Worlds, which were already slim, were now practically non-existent.

As she and the Bellas travelled back home after their ill-fated performance, Beca couldn't stop thinking about how quickly the group had fallen out of grace.

 _How did this happen? How did we go from being three-time national champions to a complete and utter disgrace? When did we go wrong? What was our mistake?_

She took a peak at her grimed-faced friends, most of them immersed in though and wearing earphones. Emily, on the other hand, was busy writing down something on a notebook, which made Beca curious.

"Is that for a class?" She asked her, trying to distract herself from what had just happened.

"No, it's just when I get stressed, words sort of flow right out of me and I try to channel them into my songwriting—"

"Are we just gonna ignore what happened back there?" Chloe interrupted her, clearly upset. "The Worlds are right around the corner and you guys are acting like we didn't just eat a big bag of… Ahhh!" She screamed in frustration.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Cynthia-Rose protested. "I almost burn to death because of you, aca-bitches."

"If you almost died, it was only because you were standing in the wrong spot," Fat Amy replied.

"No! Flo flipped into me!"

"Sure, blame the minority."

"I'm black, gay _and_ a woman!"

 _Here we go_. Beca thought. Over the years she had mastered the art of shutting down when she didn't want to talk to others, so she simply concentrated in her own problems while her friends blamed each other for their failure. She couldn't stop thinking about Sammy's words, and it felt as if they were drilling a hole in her brain which got bigger with each passing day. She shook her head trying to drive them apart, only for Jesse's memory to come back and haunt her.

"Obviously, we're not gonna beat Das Sound Machine at their game," she heard Chloe say in the distance. "So, we need a new plan. Like, now," her friend stood up with determination. "At times like these, there's only one thing for us to do."

"Fake your own death and flee the country," Flo said, resigned.

"Close. We're going on a retreat."

* * *

The night before leaving for the retreat, she got a call from Jesse. This time, she didn't think twice about answering her phone.

"Hi."

"Hi Becs, how did it go at the gig? Tell me everything."

"I don't think you wanna know. It went –what's the word? Terrible."

"Why? What happened?"

"There was a little accident with the props and Cynthia-Rose almost burned to death."

"But is she okay? Was she injured?"

"She got a small burn on her scalp, but she's fine. I don't wanna get into details, all you should know is that it was an absolute disgrace, a complete mess."

"I'm so sorry, Beca. I know this gig was very important to you."

"I'd rather talk about something else, if you don't mind. I still feel embarrassed." Beca didn't like to reminisce about her failures.

"Oh, okay. Well, what are you doing right now?"

"I'm packing, the girls and I are leaving for a retreat tomorrow morning. We'll be gone the whole weekend."

"A retreat? It sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it sure does," Beca said, trying not to sound too sarcastic. "Chloe organized it. Apparently, she thinks we have drifted apart and that we need to reconnect as a group. But I know her, and this is all because she can't accept the fact that there's life beyond the Bellas and that we'll have to move on eventually."

"Well, see it as an opportunity to bond. Or just some much needed vacations."

"Vacations? I wish," she sighed. "I need to figure out the project I will show Sammy. I'm running out of time and ideas, and I still don't know what the hell I'm going to do. I can't wait for this whole thing to be over, it's been a terrible year."

"Look Beca, whatever happens, happens. You are gonna be okay because, no matter what, you always find a way to overcome difficulties."

"You know what? I don't give a crap about Chloe's stupid retreat. I'm gonna use this weekend to focus on my project, and that's the end of it."

* * *

Unfortunately for Beca, her plans crumbled once she discovered who ran the retreat.

Beca hadn't seen or talked to Aubrey Posen since the former Bella's graduation. It was nice to see her again after almost three years, especially since they got along much better now than they did when they first met. However, Beca's initial joy quickly disappeared after she heard Aubrey's rules.

"The Worlds signifies a shot at redemption. You don't have a chance of winning until you find your sound again. You have totally lost your harmony! So, for the next two days you will be doing _everything_ together until you regain it. No distractions." One of her assistants handed her a plastic recycling bin. "And that means you must sever all ties to the outside world. I need you to surrender your cell phones, tablets, pocket organizers, smart watches, laptops, everything."

As she talked, she walked down the line. All the Bellas put their gadgets in the bin, but when it was Beca's turn to give up her laptop, she held her tight against her chest.

"But I _need_ this," she begged.

"Trust the process, Beca."

She knew she had no choice, so she handed Aubrey the laptop. It killed her to do so, and she had no idea how she was going to survive the entire weekend without it.

"Ladies, get ready to be transformed. You're surrounded by the strength of your fellow Bellas, the support of a proud female tradition and a few dozen bear traps, so don't stray from the marked paths, okay? Great, let's go!"

"Well, maybe I'll start with a hot shower, maybe a little foot rub—" Fat Amy said, but was quickly interrupted by Aubrey.

"Fat Amy, there are no guest rooms for you."

"Then where are we staying?"

Aubrey pointed to a small clearing, where a tent lied on the ground.

 _Great, and now we will be sleeping like sardines._

* * *

Beca was _not_ in a good mood. She hadn't slept the previous night and her shoulders and neck were killing her. To make matters worse, Aubrey had forced them to complete a series of boot camp exercises, like running through a military-style obstacle course with ropes over a mud pit and jumping from a high tower onto a blob bounce. As a bonus, Aubrey had ordered them to sing songs from old female groups to 'get inspired', and with each task Beca got increasingly frustrated. By the end of the day all the girls were tired, hungry and covered in dried mud, water and dirt.

"Okay, that was two steps away from being almost fine," Aubrey said, with a big smile on her face.

Beca was unable to hold back her frustration any more.

"Sorry, what are we doing?"

"We're rediscovering our sound," Chloe answered.

"Are we? 'Cause it feels like we're just singing songs that would _never_ go in our set."

"Beca, come on."

"No! None of us know how to beat Das Sound Machine, but I know it's not gonna be by doing this."

"This is just an exercise to find harmony, Beca. Sometimes you have to break things down before you can build them back up again." Aubrey was clearly trying to calm her down, but it was too late.

"I have more important things to do!" She snapped.

"What could be more important than this?" Chloe snapped back.

"Nothing, forget it," she said, trying to take back her words.

"You don't think that we haven't all realized you have been a little checked out lately?"

"Come on, Beca, just tell her," Fat Amy told her, quietly.

"I _heard_ that. Tell me what?"

"Oh, you misunderstood me. I clearly said: 'Rum pond, Teca'." Chloe stared at Fat Amy with killer eyes. "Listen, I don't want you guys to fight. You are Beca and Chloe. Together you are 'Bloe', and everyone loves a good Bloe, so…"

Beca didn't want to get into a fight with her best friend, but she realized a direct confrontation with her and the rest of the Bellas was pretty much inevitable at that point.

She took a deep breath. "Okay. I've been interning at a recording studio and a legit music producer wants to hear my work. God forbid I have something going on outside this group."

"Okay, so why would you keep something like that from us?"

"'Cause you are _obsessed_! You _all_ are." She turned to face her friends. "We're graduating and the only person thinking about life after the Bellas is me."

"What is so wrong about being focused on the Bellas? This has been my family for seven years!"

"Yeah, because you are too scared to leave! Sack up, dude!"

Things were spiraling out of control. Now, the two girls were actually screaming at each other, something that had never happened in the years they had been friends. A little voice inside Beca's head was trying to stop her from taking her frustrations out on Chloe, but she was too angry to pay attention to it.

"Girl fight!" Cynthia-Rose yelled from behind.

"Okay, so you've been _lying_ to us for the entire year and now you are just gonna flake out? _Now_ you are gonna flake out when the Worlds are like, right after graduation?"

"Oh my God, enough about the Worlds!" Beca took a step back. "I can't—I'm out of here."

"Oh, okay. You are just gonna leave now?"

Beca turned back around but kept walking. "We'll all have to eventually, Chloe. It might as well be now."

"Beca—" Ashley tried to stop her.

"If you all knew what is good for you, you'd follow me!"

"Beca, the sign!" Emily yelled, but before she could finish the sentence, Beca stepped in a snare and a rope encircled her ankle, pulling her around fifteen feet in the air.

* * *

It had been the wildest and scariest experience of her life. Although she had only hanged in the air for a few seconds, Beca genuinely thought she was going to die. Once she was back on her feet, she realized she had to apologize to her friends for her behavior and start being completely honest with them.

That night, Aubrey organized a campfire for all the girls. Some of them were wrapped in blankets, while others were roasting marshmallows. Beca knew it was her opportunity to open up, and she started talking.

"Listen, I wanna apologize to you guys for what happened before. The things I said were wrong and I was rude, and you don't deserve that. It was wrong of me to take my frustrations out on you, and I won't try to justify myself. I guess I've been putting all this pressure on myself, you know. I don't want to fail and I've been feeling really alone these days."

She didn't need to specify she felt alone because Jesse was gone. She knew the girls had been gossiping about it for weeks.

"But if you had said something—"

"Yeah, I know, but I'm weird about that stuff. I thought I could figure it out on my own and I can't. Maybe I don't have anything original to say." That was her greatest fear. She knew she was a very creative person, but she had hit a wall on her first real opportunity to show what she was capable of. "I wish I could do what you do," she said to Emily.

"Well, I feel the same way about you. You are so good it's intimidating. All I ever wanted is to be one of you. Not a legacy, but a Bella."

"You are!" All the girls said in unison.

"You are one of us, you paid the registration fee," Fat Amy said.

"It's for life, dude." Then, an idea crossed Beca's mind. "Do you want to collaborate on something?"

She knew it was crazy, but if it all went well the final product could be amazing.

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah!" Emily exclaimed. "Wow! Man! Yes! Who else feels like a winner tonight?"

The rest of the girls laughed and cheered.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but I'm afraid too," Chloe said. "To move on, to graduate. It's really scary."

"Yeah, it actually does seem like it. You're barely holding it together."

"Well, it doesn't have to be scary, Chloe. When I was graduating I never pictured myself running a retreat in the middle of the woods, but here I am. Take it from someone who has dealt with some serious control issues." Aubrey held her friend's hand. "And like my dad always said: 'In the mine field of life you must be prepared to lose both feet'. And I think you all know what I mean."

Chloe got to her feet, with determination. "Then it's decided, this year I will graduate. The Worlds will be my swan song. I mean it. I'll pursue my passion. I'll teach underprivilege children how to sing, or I'll dance exotically. Whatever offers the most money."

Beca felt proud of her friend. She knew the outside world scared Chloe and it had taken a lot of effort to make that decision.

"Y'all, check this out," Cynthia-Rose said, and stood up. "I'm moving to Maine to get hitched, and you all can come. Everyone is invited!"

They cheered and clapped.

"Okay, okay guys, stop asking. I'll tell you." Now Flo stood up. "After I graduate, there's a chance I will be deported. I will try to re-enter the country but I will probably die at sea, so… Let's live for tonight!"

More laughs and applause.

"Lily, any plans?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm just gonna travel through time."

As always the girls looked at each other, confused by Lily's answer.

"What about you, Beca? What are you doing after graduation?" Aubrey asked her.

Beca didn't answer straight away, because it was a question she had been asking herself for days.

"I guess it'll all depend on what my boss says about my collaboration with Emily. And even if he doesn't like it my internship will be over in a few weeks, so I'm thinking of moving to LA to pursue a career in music production."

"Really? That's great!" Emily said.

"Yeah, I think I could use the change. Atlanta was supposed to be a temporary thing, and I've already been here for almost four years. It's time to shake things up a little bit. Besides, going to LA was always my original plan."

"Hold on," Aubrey said. "Does that mean you are going to make things right with Jesse?"

"Honestly? I don't know. Things are a little complicated between us right now." A shy smile appeared upon Beca's face. "Although I won't deny I've missed him, and I'd like to see him again."

 _A lot_.

"And I bet he has missed you, too. Perhaps this whole separation was for good. You will rise from the ashes stronger than ever."

"We'll see what happens."

A brief silence. Beca took a moment to organize her thoughts. There were so many things she wanted to say, but she wanted to express herself the best possible way.

"When I look back on this, I won't remember the performing and competing. I'm gonna remember you weirdos." All the girls looked at each other, moved. "It makes me really sad to think it won't ever be like this again. I'm gonna miss you, guys."

And it was true. As a matter of fact, it had been the sincerest thing Beca had ever said to her friends. She never thought she would say it, but the idea of separating from them was proving to be very hard to process.

"Me, too," Cynthia-Rose said.

"Me, too," Stacie added.

Then, the unexpected. Chloe, with tears in her eyes, started singing a song that sounded too familiar to Beca. A song she hadn't heard in a long time.

 _I got my ticket for the long way round_

It was 'Cups', the song Beca had sung when she auditioned for the Bellas. She smiled at her friend, and completed the verse.

 _Two bottle of Whiskey for the way_

Aubrey and the rest of the Bellas joined in.

 _And I sure would like some sweet company_

 _And I'm leaving tomorrow, what do you say?_

 _When I'm gone_

 _When I'm gone_

 _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

 _You're gonna miss me by my hair_

 _You're gonna miss me everywhere_

 _You're gonna miss me when I'm gone_

After they finished the song, Beca looked around. All the Bellas were fighting back tears, including herself.

"Did we just find our sound?"

"I think we did." Despite her watery eyes, Chloe had a smile on her face.

"My work here is done," Aubrey said, satisfied.

Chloe put her hand on her friend's. "Thank you."

* * *

Now that she had made peace with her friends and had finally opened up to them about her worries, Beca felt much more relaxed and was ready to fully concentrate in her job. She was going to take Emily to the recording boot on Monday, and already had a few ideas in mind about how to make her friend's song, 'Flashlight', interesting and fascinating enough for her boss to love it.

After realizing she was in love with Bumper, fat Amy designed a plan to win him back. Said plan consisted in serenating him with Pat Benatar's 'We Belong' while she paddled across the lake on a skiff. She put her plan in motion that Sunday afternoon, shortly after the Bellas returned home from the retreat.

She was being watched by Chloe, Beca, Emily and Lily, who were eating ice cream outside the Bella house.

"Why didn't she just walk around the lake?" Chloe asked the rest of the girls.

"Fat Amy doesn't do anything small," Beca answered, not surprised at her friend's daring actions. Beside her, Emily was speaking with her mom over the phone.

"Yes, I've been using my shower shoes. Okay, I love you, too. Here she is." She handed her phone to Beca.

"What's up, Mrs. Junk?"

"Beca, darling, how are you?" Catherine's melodious voice asked her from the other side of the line.

"I'm great, excellent."

"Now, my daughter told me you needed to speak with me."

"Yes, I could use your help with a little project I have in mind."

"Go on, dear, I'm all ears."

"I wanted to know if you and other former Bellas would like to help us with our presentation at the Worlds."

"In what way?"

"Look, the project is still coming together, but I promise you I will solve all your doubts as the whole picture becomes clearer. Right now I need to know if I can count on you for this."

"Of course you can count on me, I would do anything to help a fellow Bella."

"Thank you so much. I'll give you a call on the next few days to give you the details of how you will help us."

"Please know we will help you in any way we can so you can win this thing, okay?"

"We are aware of that. Thanks again, Mrs. Junk."

"You're welcome, dear. Goodbye."

"Bye." Beca hung up the phone and handed it to Emily. "What did I miss?"

"Fat Amy almost got hit by a car, she kept singing but Bumper doesn't seem too interested in what she's doing."

"Well, the guy's hurt. You can't really blame him for not being interested," Chloe said, as she stirred her drink.

"Uh, I wouldn't be so sure about that, Chlo." Beca said, as Bumper began singing along to the song.

"Aww look at that, they are doing a duet. How sweet!" Emily giggled, but the smile quickly disappeared from her face. "Oh, and now they are making out."

"Eww, gross." Chloe covered her eyes with her hand. "I really didn't need to see that today."

"Does that mean they are back together? Because it sure looks like it, right?"

"I guess. Good for them." Beca got to her feet and went inside the house. She was happy for fat Amy and Bumper, but ever since Jesse's departure seeing happy couples made her cranky.

 _I used to be a part of one of those, not so long ago_ , she said to herself as she went upstairs. However, she quickly corrected herself. _No, not 'used to be'; I am_.

* * *

On Wednesday, Chloe returned to the Bella house from class earlier than usual. She hadn't seen Beca since Sunday afternoon, and she was anxious to know what her boss had said about her collaboration with Emily. Chloe knew this project was very important to Beca, that her whole career depended on it, and she wanted to be supportive of her friend.

She climbed the stairs to Beca and Amy's room and knocked three times.

"Come in." Chloe entered the room and saw her friend lying in her bed, laptop on her legs. "Hi Chlo, what's up?"

"Hi, Beca." She sat beside her. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing important, really. I'm supposed to be preparing our new setlist but I'm not particularly motivated, so I've been reading Buzzfeed articles and scrolling down my timeline for almost two hours."

"That sounds productive. Hey, how did it go with Sammy and Emily?"

Beca closed her laptop and put it aside. "It went better than I expected. _Much_ better. Sammy really liked our demo and he said it was solid and with real potential. He even said he was looking forward to working with us."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Chloe gently squeezed her friend's arm. "Congratulations Beca, you must be very happy!"

Beca smiled. "I am."

Although she was smiling, Chloe noticed there was something weird about Beca's attitude. She seemed distracted and unfocussed, as if her mind was miles away from there.

 _She's hiding something_.

"But you don't seem like you are. What happened?"

"Why do you think something happened?"

"Because I know you, and you seem distressed. You can tell me what's bothering you, I'm your friend." She held Beca's hand, trying to comfort her.

Beca sighed. "Sammy loved the demo so much he offered me a job in _Residual Heat_ 's main headquarters, in New York."

Chloe looked at her with her eyes wide open. "You are joking."

"I'm not, he told me this morning. It's not an important job, I'd basically be a paid intern, but it's a start. He said I could fast-track my way up the ladder because I'm talented and I have the potential. He is glad he gave me an opportunity to prove what I'm capable of, and he said I have a bright future as a music producer if I play my cards well and don't screw up."

"Beca, that's awesome! You said yes, didn't you? Please tell me you said yes!"

"I said I would think about it, and that I will tell him my decision before I graduate."

"But graduation is still two months away. Will he hold the position for you?"

"I hope to give him my answer before that."

"I don't understand, why did you say you need to think about it? This is a great opportunity for you, Beca."

Beca ran her hand through her hair. "I know, but right now my head is a mess. I had already decided I would go to LA after graduating, but now I'm not so sure about that. This is big, and it's my career we're talking about. It's not an easy decision, that's why I asked for some time to make up my mind."

"Yeah but in LA you have nothing, while in New York you'd have a secure job. I don't get—" Then, it hit her. Beca _did_ have something in LA. "Beca, is Jesse the reason why you are thinking of moving to LA after graduation?"

"If what you really want to ask is if I already forgave him, the answer is no. But I miss him and I want to see him again, and I'd like to make things right. I thought being close to him would help, but I now that I think about it I don't want to be the girl who leaves everything to follow a guy to the other side of the country."

"Well, it doesn't have to be a bad thing, especially if you do it out of love."

Beca let out a bitter laugh. "Ah, love. That son of a bitch has only made my life more complicated."

"But also better, I dare to assume."

"I doubt it. The point is I need time to think this through. I'm going to see my dad on Friday and see what he has to say."

"You are going to see your dad? You must be really desperate."

"I am, but also we get along much better now. He's nice to talk to, gives good advice."

"As long as it works for you."

* * *

"I need some fatherly advice," was the first thing she told her dad when he opened his front door.

He smiled at her. "I figured. Come in."

She went inside to find the house had suffered little-to-no changes since the last time she had been there. Pictures of Beca as a baby and as a little girl covered most of the living room's walls; in some of them she was by herself, and in others her dad was holding her in his arms. She remembered some of those moments, while others had vanished as years went by.

"You want some coffee?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"Decaf?"

"Please."

He went to the kitchen and poured some coffee powder on a medium-sized cup filled with hot water. He stirred it and handed it to Beca, who took a sip.

"It's delicious. Thank you."

"You're welcome." He sat next to her on the breakfast nook. "So, let's cut to the chase. What's going on?"

"It's a long story."

He extended his arms. "I have plenty of time, when you called me yesterday I cleared my schedule. No classes, no meetings, not anything."

Beca spent the next fifteen minutes updating her dad about her situation, trying not to skip any important details. She told him everything, from her and Jesse's agreement to move to LA together to him graduating early and her job offer in New York, including the current state of their relationship.

"I legit don't know what to do. I have two options," she held out cupped hands, as if weighing two objects. "Option number one: I reject Sammy's offer and I move to LA. Jesse and I make up, we resume things where we left off and we start a new life together, as we originally intended to. Option number two: I accept Sammy's offer and I move to New York. I end my relationship with Jesse for good and I start anew without him."

"Well, what are the pros and cons of each option?"

Beca had already thought of an answer to that question.

"If I choose option number one I'll be with the man I love. Maybe I won't have a job, but it's LA; the city is filled with possibilities. If I choose option number two I'll have to part ways with Jesse, but I'll have a secure job in the biggest and most important city in the world and I'll get to work with actual professionals, professionals who could help me become a successful music producer."

Dr. Mitchell took a sip of his coffee. "So it's basically love _vs_ your career. It's a tale as old as time."

"It sucks. If I go to LA, I will lose my shot at the job of my dreams. But if I go to New York, I won't be with the man I love."

"It sounds like a dilemma."

They went silent for a couple of minutes, in which Beca kept analyzing her possibilities while her father drank his coffee.

"The truth is I'm still mad at Jesse for leaving me to go to LA," Beca finally said. "Everything would be a lot easier if I didn't love him anymore."

"But you do. Quite a lot, if you ask me."

"Yeah, and maybe more than ever. These past weeks have been very difficult." She shook her head. "I feel like I unconsciously want to pay him back with the same coin, you know? He hurt me when he left for LA, now I wanna hurt him by leaving for New York."

"But Jesse didn't leave because he didn't love you, did he? He left because a once in a lifetime opportunity presented itself and he _had_ to take it. Does that sound familiar to you?"

Beca clenched her teeth. "I see your point. It doesn't make this any easier, though. It still hurts."

"You wanna know what I think, Bec? I think you've already made your decision. That's why it hurts so much."

Beca didn't say anything. Her dad's words had hit her like a thunderbolt.

 _Have I? Have I made my decision without even noticing?_

"I believe you are right." She managed to say in a brittle voice. "But why? Why does it hurt if it's the right thing to do?"

Her father let out a sad smile. "Nobody said making a decision was easy."

* * *

On Sunday evening, Beca and Chloe stayed home for dinner while the rest of the girls went to the movies. Chloe was busy studying for an exam and Beca wasn't in the mood to go out. Just two days had passed since her visit to her dad, and she had spent the whole weekend thinking about their conversation.

"This might sound weird coming from me, but studying is actually really fun." Chloe said, with enthusiasm. Now that she had decided to graduate she had become the most dedicated student in Barden, something that the other Bellas—especially Stacie—found extremely odd.

"It does sound weird."

"Have I ever told you that, when I was in high school, I was the best student in my class?"

"That's even weirder. What happened there?"

"Oh, you know. Boys, personal insecurities, my obsession with the Bellas—the usual stuff." Chloe chuckled. "Ah, those good old days."

"I don't miss them one bit."

Chloe looked at her, with curiosity. "You are more bitter than usual tonight. What's wrong?"

Beca leaned back in her swivel chair and rested her hands on her abdomen.

"I've made my decision."

"About… the issue?"

"Yeah."

"Go on."

"I'm going to accept Sammy's offer; I'm going to New York."

A trace of sadness covered Chloe's face. "Are you sure?"

"It's what's best for me right now."

"I suppose you have given this a lot of thought."

"More than you can imagine."

"Can I ask what helped you decide?"

"My dad, he said something that got me thinking. He said: 'I think you've already made your decision. That's why it hurts so much.' That made me realize I can't let this opportunity pass. It's my career, it's my future. So I said to myself: 'Beca, you _know_ what to do. You have known all along.'"

"And there's nothing that could make you change your mind?"

Beca shook her head. "My decision is final."

Chloe sighed. "Well, in that case, I have nothing left to say. I know how difficult this was for you, Beca, and if you think going to New York is what's best for you, then I support you."

"Thank you. I knew you would."

"When are you gonna tell Jesse?"

"I thought about telling him at the Worlds, but he texted me this morning to say he wouldn't be able to make it because he has a very important exam that day."

"That's a bummer, it would've been nice to see him again."

"I know."

Although Beca didn't say anything to Chloe, she was devastated to find out Jesse wouldn't be there for the most important performance of her Bella career. Even when she had decided to break up with him for good, she would've loved to see him in the crowd, screaming and jumping and singing along to the songs.

"But if it's not at the Worlds, when will you tell him?"

Beca shrugged. "I don't know, but this is the kind of stuff you must do personally, so I guess I'll have to go to LA and tell him face to face."

"Well, like my late grandma used to say: 'If you're going to leave something you care about behind, make sure you do it the right way.' You owe it to your relationship."

"That's true. I'll find a way to tell him; I promise."

* * *

 ** _Two months later…_**

 ** _June 2015_**

The Bellas' final performance had gone much better than the girls expected. In fact, Beca felt comfortable enough to affirm it had been their finest –or at least in her years as a Bella. It had been a simple, yet heart-warming performance that had captivated the audience and, hopefully, the judges as well. It had been the complete opposite to DSM's flamboyant, over-the-top performance, and Beca hoped the emotional aspect of their number combined with the display of their abilities would be enough to secure them the crown.

"I'm so nervous," Chloe said, visibly agitated. She couldn't stop pacing back and forth and was twirling her hair with her fingers. "My hands are all sweaty and my heart is beating like crazy."

They were waiting backstage while the judges deliberated.

"Relax, Chlo. We gave everything out there, there's nothing else we can do. It's in the judges' hands now."

"Beca, tell me something."

"Like what?"

" _Anything_. I need to distract myself."

"Well… I think I saw Jesse in the crowd." Chloe looked at her, with surprise. "I'm not sure it was Jesse or just some random dude who looked a lot like him, I only saw his face a fraction of a second. Perhaps you saw him, too, he was wrapped in an American flag."

Chloe nodded. "I did, it was very hard not to notice him. But what is he doing here? I thought he said he wouldn't be able to come."

"I don't know, perhaps it wasn't him and my mind is just playing tricks on me."

Her friend shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it _was_ Jesse. Come on, who else would wrap himself in the American flag like that, Rocky-style?"

"That's true. Still, I don't wanna get my hopes up."

"That's up to you. Wouldn't it be amazing, though? Him finding a way to be here tonight by whatever means necessary, just to support you."

"It really would be."

* * *

Beca couldn't believe what had just happened. Had a group of underdogs defeated DSM against all odds? Had they really saved the Bellas from disappearing? Were they actual _world champions_?

This and many other questions kept moving through her head as she and the girls celebrated their victory on stage. None of them could believe their triumph; some of them had tears in their eyes, while others laughed and squealed with delight. The trophy that had been awarded to them was being passed from hand to hand, and fat Amy didn't miss the opportunity to take a selfie with it.

After celebrating with the audience, the Bellas were asked to leave the stage and to move backstage to continue their celebration. In there, they were congratulated by the other groups that had participated in the competition. Handshakes and hugs were exchanged, as well as kind thoughts and good wishes in different languages.

However, Beca was shocked to recognize a familiar face amidst the crowd.

Jesse.

As soon as they made eye contact, he held his arms out to her.

Without giving it a second thought, she ran toward him and hugged him as hard as she could. It was a warm, strong hug, very Jesse-like. When he let go, she noticed he was smiling as she had never seen him smile before. She couldn't help but smile as well.

"What are you doing here? I thought you said you couldn't make it!"

"I wanted to give you a surprise. I hope it worked."

"It did. I wasn't expecting you at all!"

"Do you really think I would've missed this? Me, your _biggest_ and _loudest_ fan?"

Beca laughed. "For a moment I thought you would, I'm glad I was wrong. But how did you get here? I thought audience members couldn't go backstage."

"I played the my-girlfriend-is-the-winning-group's-leader card and a security guard sneaked me in."

"How do you think it all went?"

"You girls were amazing! Seriously, it was your best performance _ever_. Your win is well-deserved."

"I still can't believe it, I think I'm in shock. I mean, I wanted us to win, but I never thought we would _actually_ win."

"I always knew you could do this, Beca. I'm so proud of you."

"Everything seems so… surreal. I feel as if I'm having an out-of-body experience."

"You know what you need? To go celebrate with your friends. I mean it; go to a bar, drink until you pass out. You've earned it."

"But you are here and there are so many things I have to tell you, I—"

"There'll be time to talk, but this is _your_ moment, Beca. _Enjoy_ it. I won't go anywhere." He reassured her, as he caressed her hair. "Now go, and have fun."

She took his hand with hers. "Fine. I'll give you a call tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

The girls went to a bar called 'The Jane', located in the heart of Copenhagen. They ordered a round of beer to get started, and ten minutes later the toasts began.

"To all of you awesome nerds," Beca raised her glass. "You all made a tremendous effort tonight, and it all payed off. I'm so proud of what we achieved, not only we are the new world champions, but we saved the Bellas for girls like this one," she said, as she put her arm around Emily's shoulder, "to build their own legacy. It was the best swan song I could've hoped for. What an amazing way to put an end to our careers as Bellas. To us!"

"To us!" All the girls took a sip of their beers. Then, Chloe stood up.

"I'd also like to make a toast," she said, fighting back emotion. "Beca, in this past few months you've had to make some very important decisions in both your professional and personal life. You've gone through extremely difficult stuff, stuff that even made you think of leaving the Bellas. You didn't, and I'm so thankful to you for staying with us and for guiding us to this triumph. I know we _all_ worked our asses to win this thing, but none of this would've been possible without your leadership and your enormous talent. And now that you are about to begin a new chapter in your life, I wish you the greatest of success in New York. I know you're gonna be the best music producer _in the world_." She raised her glass. "To our leader."

The rest of the girls did the same.

"To our leader!"

Beca was left speechless, extremely moved by her friend's words.

"Thank you," she mouthed at her.

"I'm not done yet, I have some personal news I'd like to share with you." Chloe said, and she took a deep breath. "I'm going to New York, too. Ladies, I got accepted to Juilliard!"

All the girls covered their mouths with their hands.

" _What_? _Juilliard_?!" They said in unison.

"As in the one in Lincoln Center?" Stacie asked, perplexed.

"Yes! I'm so excited!"

Beca looked at her friend with her eyes wide open.

"Okay Chlo, you have some _serious_ explaining to do," she said, as she scratched her head. "First and most important of all: how did this happen?"

"Well, first I sent my application in late November. Then, I had to go to an audition in January and, if everything went well, to a final callback in March. I never thought I would actually get in, it was a longshot, but I did!"

"So that's why you became such a good student from one day to the next," Stacie said, finally putting two and two together. "But you decided to graduate two months ago, how is it possible you sent your application in November?"

"I never told this to anyone, but after 'Muffgate' the idea of life outside the Bellas began moving through my head, just like it happened to Beca. It was a sad and rather grim prospect, but I couldn't ignore it. Chances were we would fail at winning the Worlds, so I said to myself: 'Chloe Beale, you have the opportunity to do something important with your life. What is it that you wanna do?' And then, out of nowhere, the answer came to me: 'I wanna be an actress.' Like I said, I never thought they would accept me, so I thought: 'Why not? If I don't get in there's no harm done anyway.' And that's it."

"But why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't want to jinx it. Besides, what if they rejected me? I preferred to wait and see what happened."

"Wait, wait, wait." Fat Amy said. "You are all forgetting to ask what really matters: When did you go to New York to audition? Why didn't we notice?"

"Oh, that's simple. Remember I spent my winter break in Florida with my dad and I returned to Atlanta one week after the semester began?" All the girls nodded. "That's because I used that extra week to go to New York to my first audition. And in March, do you remember that weekend I went rock climbing in Colorado? I went to the final callback."

"You tricked us all. Clever girl."

"When did they tell you you were in?" Beca asked, after overcoming the initial shock.

"First week of April."

"Two months? Wow, this is huge."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you guys, but like I said I didn't want to jinx it." Chloe lowered her head in shame.

"Hey, you don't have to apologize for anything," Beca said, as she patted her in the shoulder. "Quite the opposite, you should be rubbing it in our faces." Then, she proceeded to hug her friend. "Congratulations, dude. I'm so happy for you!"

"Yeah, congrats!" Stacie said. The rest of the girls cheered as well, and everyone hugged the redhead.

"Thank you, girls. I feel like I'm on cloud nine." Chloe was smiling from ear to ear. "Seven months ago I couldn't even think of graduating; now, I'm going to study acting in the best school in the country. It's crazy!"

"Well, Chloe, remember us when you win your first Oscar." Stacie said.

"I'm actually aiming for a Tony, but I'll mention you in my speech. I promise."

"Finally I have a good excuse to visit New York, now that you two are going to be there."

"We _all_ do. New York City better beware!" Fat Amy exclaimed.

"When do you leave?" Beca asked Chloe.

"Next month. But before that, I'll go to Florida to spend a few days with my dad. What about you?"

"I'm leaving on Saturday."

"So soon? I thought you were going to take a few vacation days."

"I will, but I want to spend them in New York. To get used to the city and stuff."

"Right. Well, I guess I'll see you there." Chloe raised her glass. "To new beginnings!"

"To new beginnings!"

 _To making the right decision_ , Beca said to herself, as she drank her beer.

* * *

The next day, Beca called Jesse first thing in the morning and they agreed to meet for breakfast on her hotel's restaurant.

"I mean it, Beca, Los Angeles is amazing. The food is great and you get to meet a wide variety of people," he said, with enthusiasm. "Besides you get to spot celebrities from time to time! Isn't that cool?"

Beca smiled at Jesse's enthusiasm. He seemed optimistic and cheerful, and it made her very happy to see him in such a good place.

"If it suits you. But what about the traffic?"

"Well, it _is_ kind of awful, but I always use the subway or walk." He shrugged. "A little bit of traffic won't spoil the experience for me."

"You are very happy there, aren't you?"

"I am, LA is everything I ever hoped it'd be and more. I know it's only been a few months, but I already think of it as home. I definitely see myself building a life there."

"I'm glad to hear that. After all, that's the reason you left, right?"

"Right." He took a sip of his coffee. "What about you, Bec? How's everything at RH?"

"Pretty good, actually. You remember the project I was working on for Sammy?" Jesse nodded. "Well, Emily and I made a demo of 'Flashlight'; we showed it to him a few weeks ago. He loved it."

"That's great! I need to check it out, but I'm sure it's amazing."

"I think you're gonna like it."

"Speaking of the little prick, how is he doing?"

It was the perfect time to tell him about her move to New York, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"He is fine." She tried to sound as normal as she could. However, her voice came out slightly monotonous, which made Jesse immediately raise an eyebrow.

 _He noticed it. He knows there's something else._ Beca wished he didn't know her as well as he did.

"Really?"

"Yeah." She took a sip of water. "Just Sammy being Sammy."

"Okay, what did he do this time? Because I swear to God, if that guy stepped over the line or something, I'm gonna—"

"No, Jess. He didn't do anything." The situation was making Beca uncomfortable, and it showed in her body language.

"What is it, then? As soon as I mentioned him our conversation changed completely." Jesse tried to hold Beca's hand but she pulled it away, like a reflex. "What's wrong?" He asked, slightly concerned this time. "Come on, Bec, you know you can tell me anything."

Beca knew she couldn't hide the news anymore.

She took a deep breath before the words left her mouth.

"He offered me a job in New York."

Jesse looked at her with surprise in his eyes. Beca held her breath as she waited for an answer. Instead, Jesse said nothing. For a moment they just stood there, staring at each other.

Finally, he brought himself to speak.

"When do you start?"

"What makes you think I accepted it?"

"Didn't you? Because I don't think we would be having this conversation if you had said no."

"I did accept it."

"Ah, there you go. I wasn't that lost. So, when do you start?"

"In two weeks. I leave for New York on Saturday."

Another moment of silence. Beca knew there were so many things he wanted to ask her, to tell her, but he couldn't find the right words. Something similar was happening to her, too.

"Are you happy?" He finally asked. It was a simple and very straight forward question, but it showed Jesse's interest in her well-being, which Beca knew was the most important thing for him.

"I am."

"Then I'm happy, too." There was sadness in his voice, but he tried to cover it with a smile. "Life takes many turns, doesn't it? We once talked about sharing our lives, about fulfilling our dreams together. And now I'll go to LA while you go to New York, I'll become a film score composer and you a world-famous music producer."

"With some luck, yeah."

"You don't need luck, Beca; you have your talent."

"Well, you don't need it either, because you are passionate."

He shook his head. "I'm afraid you need more than that." He drank the rest of his coffee and took out his wallet. "Here, allow me to invite you."

"Of course not! We'll split it, as always." She reached for her purse but he grabbed her hand. "Jesse, don't."

"I insist. Take it as my gift to you for winning the Worlds."

"But—"

"Or as my way to congratulate you on your new job."

She sighed. "Fine."

* * *

After they paid the bill, Beca accompanied Jesse to the hotel's lobby.

"I'm leaving for LA tomorrow night. I thought you should know."

She knew he wouldn't stay in Copenhagen forever, but it made her sad to know it was almost time to say goodbye.

"At what time?"

"Nine o'clock."

She was tempted to ask him if she could go with him to the airport, but she stopped mid-sentence.

What she would never know was that Jesse thought about asking her the same question.

"When do you girls leave?"

"Wednesday morning. Actually a few hours after you."

"Straight to Atlanta?"

She nodded. "To pack our stuff and hand over the house to Emily."

"Right." He sighed. "So I guess this is it."

"I guess," she said, awkwardly. She didn't know what she was supposed to say in a situation like that.

However, Jesse did.

He reached out for Beca's hands, and held them in his.

"It doesn't matter how far away we are, I'm always gonna be there for you whenever you need me. You can count on me for _anything_."

"I know. I have always known." She gently squeezed his hands. "Listen Jess, I'm sorry things didn't work out the way we planned them to."

His lips curved into a smile. "We tried. At least we can't blame ourselves for that." He then kissed her hands. "Have a safe trip back home."

"You too."

* * *

 _However far away_

 _I will always love you_

 _However long I stay_

 _I will always love you_

 _Whatever words I say I will always love you_

 _I will always love you…_


	12. Interlude

**A/N: This chapter is not based on an Adele song, but it works as a bridge between the previous chapter and the next one. It provides context that will be useful in upcoming chapters :)**

* * *

 ** _One month later…_**

 ** _July 2015_**

"I thought you said you wouldn't be making a lot of money at the beginning." Chloe said as she meticulously inspected Beca's new apartment.

"That's right." Beca answered from the kitchen, from where she was preparing some sandwiches.

"In that case, how are you managing to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Murray Hill? Did you win the lottery?"

"Well, something like that. The thing is I'm not going to pay for living here."

"Did you buy it?"

"Don't be silly. With what money? My dad gave me this apartment as a graduation gift."

"What?!" Chloe exclaimed.

"You heard that right."

"Your dad owned an apartment in New York City and you never told me?"

"Okay, first of all, don't look at me like that. You know how much your freakishly blue eyes scare me. Second, I had never heard of this place before. It was my grandfather's and he left it to my dad after he died."

"And now he gave it to you." Beca nodded. "Mine only gave me a hug and a kiss in the forehead!"

"Isn't he going to pay for your acting school?"

"Yeah, but I think I prefer this!" Chloe shook her head. "So you own this place now?"

"I do."

"Wow. I guess a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders."

"Oh, definitely."

"Are you going to live here by yourself?"

"I'm actually thinking of getting a roommate or two. I could use the extra money."

"I don't think you'll have a problem with that, it's not difficult to find a roommate in New York."

"Hey, why don't you move in here? You'd save a lot of money and Lincoln Center is not that far away from here."

"Thanks, but I prefer living on campus. I'm afraid it's the only way I get to class on time."

"Well, if you ever change your mind, mine is an open invitation."

"I know. What if you ask me again in four years? I'll need a place to live after I become an unemployed graduate."

"I'm certain you won't be an unemployed graduate."

Chloe smiled and peeked out the living room's window. "You don't have the nicest view, but this place is very well located. You have a subway station three blocks away and a bus stop around the corner. It doesn't get any better than that."

"Ah, but it does." Beca smiled. "Residual Heat is less than a mile away from here, which means I can walk to work every day."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. It's a fifteen-minute walk."

"Well, it's definitely a promising start. I think you'll live a very satisfying life here."

"I sure hope so."

"I'm certain you will."


	13. Send My Love (To Your New Lover)

**_Ten months later…_**

 ** _May 2016_**

"Are you already used to your new roomates?" Chloe asked Beca. They were having lunch together in a small cafeteria, just like every Wednesday.

"More or less. I never thought I'd say this, but I miss fat Amy. She snored but at least she was a good cook. These girls could even burn water!"

"They couldn't be perfect."

"No. There's no such thing as the perfect roomate." She took a sip of her coffee. "Guess who called me this morning."

"Who?"

"Benji."

"Aw, I love Benji. So sweet and respectful."

"I know."

"How's he doing?"

"He is doing fine, he is living in Atlanta to be close to Emily. He called me because he is in town and he wants us to have dinner tonight."

"Well, you two have always been good friends."

"Don't you wanna come? We'll have pizza."

"I'd love to, but I have class. Tell him I say hi."

* * *

"Beca, you look amazing." Was the first thing Benji told her as they hugged.

"Thank you, Benji. You too."

It was nice to see Benji again after so many months. He was one of the handful of Trebles Beca tolerated, and she considered him one of her closest friends.

"What brings you to New York?"

"I'm visiting my cousins, they live in Queens. I remembered you had recently moved here and I thought it would be nice to say hi."

"Well, I'm happy to see you. Chloe wanted to come but she's in class."

"Right. She's studying acting, isn't she?"

Beca nodded. "In Juilliard."

"Yeah, I remember Emily mentioned it. Tell her I have very fond memories of her, and that I think of her as a dear friend."

"I'll tell her."

They ordered cheese pizza and beer, and spent most of their time talking about their years in Barden.

"You know, I was extremely happy when I found out the Trebles had accepted you. I knew that would make them harder to beat, but if there was someone who deserved to be a Treble, that was you."

"You are very kind to say that." A smile appeared on his face. "It was a dream come true. I had an extraordinary time as a Treble, best three years of my life."

Beca remembered Jesse used to say that as well. An idea crossed her mind.

 _He is his best friend. I guess I lose nothing by asking him._

"Speaking of Trebles," she said in a very casual tone. "How's Jesse? I haven't heard from him in a while."

Her question obviously took him by surprise.

"Jesse? Um, he is doing great! Music school is amazing. He has been _really_ busy lately, but things are going great for him." He tried to sound as casual as he could but failed miserably.

Beca raised an eyebrow. "Benji, what's wrong?"

"Why do you think there's something wrong?"

"Dude, you are a terrible liar. It doesn't surprise me, though, you are too pure for that." He took a sip of his beer and Beca noticed his hands were shaking. "See? You are all nervous and shaky. What's going on with Jesse? Is he sick?"

"No, it's not that."

"Ah, so there _is_ something." Beca crossed her arms. "What is it? You know I'm gonna find out anyway, so you might as well tell me the truth."

Benji let out a defeated sigh. "Fine, I'll tell you." He took a deep breath. "Jesse is getting married."

Beca's heart dropped to the ground, and for a moment she felt as if time had stopped turning.

"W-What?" She managed to say, visibly in shock.

"You heard that right. Jesse is getting married."

"To whom?"

"Her name is Jane Kimble, she is a friend from USC. She is also studying Music and is a lyricist. That's all I know."

"How long have they been together?"

"Nine months, if I remember right. They got engaged a few days ago, and the wedding is set to take place next month."

Beca's head was spinning, a million thoughts crossing her mind at the same time.

 _Ten months? That means they started dating a month after we broke up._

"I'm so sorry Beca, I really am. I know how difficult this must be for you." Benji lowered his head, as if he were ashamed of what had happened.

Beca forced a smile, an act that ended up being unexpectedly painful.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything, Benji. I mean it. Jesse and I broke up almost a year ago, he has every right to move on with his life."

"It's just you two were together for three years and I always thought you had something very special going on."

"Maybe we did at some point, but that's over. I suppose this girl is very special, otherwise Jesse wouldn't be marrying her."

"I don't know, I haven't met her. Although I doubt she is as special as you."

Beca smiled. "It's very kind of you to think of me as someone special."

Benji smiled back at her. "I'm sorry you had to find out about Jesse's marriage by me."

She placed a hand on his across the table. "You are a good friend, Benji, and I'm glad I heard about it from you."

* * *

That night, Beca found herself unable to fall asleep. Benji's words had been echoing inside her head for hours, and she kept tossing and turning in bed. She reached for her phone in her nightstand.

 _B: I need to talk to you ASAP. Call me when you read this text._

She checked the hour.

 _A quarter past four. I guess she'll read it later._

Beca left her phone in her nightstand and covered herself with her blankets, and closed her eyes. A few seconds later, her phone started ringing.

It was Chloe.

"That was quick."

"Are you okay? I got scared by your text."

"Yeah, don't worry. I thought you'd read it in a couple of hours, at least. Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I'm binge-watching _Stranger Things_. Why aren't _you_ sleeping?"

"I have a lot in my mind right now."

"I can imagine, otherwise you wouldn't have texted me at four in the morning. What happened?"

"You better sit down before I tell you. This is gonna knock you off your feet."

"Okay, I'm ready."

Beca then told Chloe about Jesse's impending marriage. Her friend let out a gasp.

"Jesse is getting married? I can't believe it!"

"You better do."

"How? When? To _whom_?"

"I don't know the details, I only know she is a friend from USC. They are getting married next month."

"A classmate from USC—what's her name?"

"Jane Kimble, if I remember correctly."

"What is she studying?"

"Benji said Music, but he didn't specify. Why do you ask?"

"I'm gonna have to hang up, but I'll call you in a moment."

* * *

About twenty minutes later, Chloe called her back.

"Hi, sorry about that. I just had to make a few phone calls."

"What are you up to? I hope it's nothing Chloe-ish."

"Me? Never. I called a friend who is studying Screen Scoring at USC."

"That's what Jesse is studying."

"Precisely. As a matter of fact, he is good friends with both Jesse _and_ his new girlfriend. I called him and asked him a few questions about future Mrs. Jesse Swanson."

A feeling of panic grew in Beca.

"Oh God, I thought you were done with your 'special researches' after the Tommy Bridgewater fiasco."

"Relax, I have everything under control. If that one failed was because Stacy has no idea how to handle delicate information, but I know you do."

"Please tell me there's no delicate information involved in this one, too."

"Not really, no. Actually, this girl seems completely ordinary. Do you wanna know what my friend told me?"

"What choice do I have? You are gonna tell me anyway."

"She is from North Carolina, she double-majored in Drama and Psychology and she is currently studying Popular Music at USC. Capricorn, dog lover, sports enthusiast. She is a decent actress and a fine dancer and singer, a real triple threat, but music is her true passion. She has been writing songs since she was four years old and she is quite talented, apparently. My friend describes her as hardworking and sensitive, with a fine sense of humor and a bit of a workaholic, too." Chloe made a pause. "Would you like me to continue?"

"Yeah, what the hell."

"She is obsessed with movies, too, and she is a big fan of musicals. Her greatest dream in life is to win an EGOT. Ambitious girl, I'll give her that."

"Jesse once told me he also wanted to win an EGOT." Beca pointed out. "Anything else?"

"Oh, they were introduced by a common friend. She felt attracted to him from day one, but he made it clear from the beginning that he wasn't single. He also said his lady would join him in a few months."

Beca grimaced. "I see."

"They began dating after he returned from Copenhagen, and the rest is history."

"Well, what do you think of all this?"

"You want my honest opinion?"

"Yeah."

"Based on the small amount of information I gathered, they seem to be quite compatible."

"I thought so, too."

"What about you? What do you think?"

"I have mixed feelings. I'm happy to know he found a nice girl to share his life with, but at the same time I can't help feeling betrayed."

"It's understandable. After all, you guys were together for quite some time."

"I'm not sure three years qualifies as 'quite some time'."

"To me it does, and certainly to you too. I'm not sure it does for Jesse, though."

Beca sighed. "You know, him getting married is not what bothers me. What bothers me is that he is doing it barely a year after we broke up."

"As if your relationship wasn't important to him."

"Yeah, precisely. I'm still kind of grieving for our relationship, and he's already looking for wedding caterers."

"So you are angry at him for not waiting for you?"

"More like… hurt. I wouldn't say I'm angry, it would be very stupid of me to hold a grudge against him for marrying someone else, don't you think? Especially since I'm the one who broke up with him. He said he was ready, I was not, so he simply found someone who was."

"What do you mean with: 'he said he was ready'? Did you two ever talk about getting married?"

"Not exactly. He mentioned once or twice his desire to start a family and how much he wanted to have children. He said he was ready to share his life with a special someone, and every time he said it he winked at me. Still, we never actually talked about getting married."

"Did you ever think of marrying him?"

Beca thought before answering, and her mouth curved into a smile.

"If he had asked me I would had said yes. I wouldn't have married him in that moment, though, but in a few years along the line."

"I still think you are allowed to feel angry."

"Look, we are not kids anymore. He made a decision and so did I, and if they love each other I hope life threats them better than it treated us. He deserves it, and so do I."

* * *

 _This was all you  
None of it me  
You put your hands on  
On my body and told me  
Told me you were ready_

 _For the big one  
For the big jump  
I'd be your last love  
Everlasting you and me  
That was what you told me_

 _I'm giving you up  
I've forgiven it all  
You set me free_

 _Send my love to your new lover  
Treat her better  
We've gotta let go of all of our ghosts  
We both know we ain't kids no more…_


	14. Interlude 2

**June 2016**

Through his life Jesse had been to a few weddings and he had seen other ones in movies and tv shows, but nothing could ever prepare him for what he was about to experience. He couldn't stop himself from tearing up as he saw her walking down the aisle toward him. Jane looked radiant in her white gown, a big smile upon her face. Jesse couldn't take his eyes off of her.

 _God, she is so beautiful._ He said to himself. _I must be the luckiest man in the world._

This was the woman he was going to spend the rest of his life with. She would be his partner in crime, the mother of his children, his better half. They were extremely compatible, they shared the same interests and goals in life, and even the dream of winning an EGOT. Besides, Jane was a lyricist while Jesse was a composer, which made them the perfect pair. He even joked Jane was him, but as a woman, and she said the same thing about him.

They knew their decision to get married had been rushed, especially since they had only known each other for a year and a half. Their families and friends had told them to wait until after their graduation from USC, but neither Jesse nor Jane cared about what they thought. What they felt for each other was intense and magical, a passion so strong they couldn't compare it with anything else they had felt before. Jesse couldn't even compare it to what he had felt for Beca.

Oh, Beca. Everything would've been so different had she decided to go to LA with him.

 _Would I be marrying her instead of Jane? No, definitely not. Beca was never fond of marriage because of what happened with her parents. Nevertheless, we would had been very happy._

Beca's decision to go to New York had left him heartbroken, but he knew there was nothing he could've done to make her change her mind. It wouldn't have been right, becoming a Music Producer was her dream and he didn't want to be an obstacle. First and foremost he wanted her happiness, and he knew she wouldn't find it in LA. Not after giving up a once in a lifetime opportunity.

He shook his head. It wasn't right of him to think of his ex-girlfriend on his wedding day. She was part of his past—an important part, indeed, but now Jane was his present _and_ his future. She had come into his life like fresh air, and he had fallen madly in love with her.

He had told her everything about his relationship with Beca. Every single detail, from _The Breakfast Club_ to them being aca-enemies to their shared love of music. She had been a very important person for him, and he wanted Jane to know about her.

He forced himself to get back to reality as Jane stood next to him.

"You look amazing," he mouthed to her. She winked at him and squeezed his hand. In that moment, all memories of Beca disappeared from Jesse's mind, as he only had eyes for the young woman standing in front of him.

Still, he chose to dedicate her one final thought.

 _Becs, I hope that wherever you are, you are as happy as I am right now._


End file.
